To probe irregularities in the allotment of tenders in Punjab Irrigation Department, the State Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday registered a criminal case against the contractor Gurinder Singh and four senior officers of the department including two retirees.
The vigilance teams have conducted searches at various places for investigation purposes as the contractor have amassed huge wealth and acquired more than 30 properties worth Rs 100 crore illegally in Chandigarh, Mohali, ludhiana, Patiala and Noida.
Only the previous week, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed contractor Gurinder Singh’s plea after observing that no ground was made out for giving seven days’ prior notice to the petitioner before his arrest as no case was registered at that time.
The vigilance has been holding inquiries against Government officers to ascertain how more than 60 per cent work was allotted to one person by “so many e-biddings”.
“In the mater, XEN Gulshan Nagpal, Chief Engineer (retired) Paramjit Singh Ghuman, XEN Bajrang lal Singla, Chief Engineer (retired) Harvinder Singh, SDO (retired) Kaminder Singh Deol, Chief Engineer (retired) Gurdev Singh Minah, Supervisor Vimal Kumar Sharma, and some other officers, engineers, or officials of the state Irrigation Department have been found to have misused their official positions in criminal conspiracy with contractor Gurinder Singh for causing defalcation of government funds and for causing huge financial loss to the State government,” said the spokesperson.