In a new twist to the ongoing cold war between the Delhi Government and Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), the lG-appointed chief of ACB MK Meena on Thursday issued a notice to the Delhi Government based on a complaint alleging irregularities in awarding of advertisement contracts, a charge vehemently denied by it.
According to Meena, they have received a complaint that most of the Delhi Government’s advertisement contracts were given to relatives of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
He said the ACB was investigating the matter. Meena also mentioned some media reports about the anomaly in the advertisement distribution policy.
According to the notice issued on October 1 to DIP, the ACB demanded certified copies of prescribed norms/procedure/guidelines for advertisement and calling of tenders of Delhi Government.
Soon after Meena’s statement to the media, the Government issued a statement dismissing the reports that its DIP had received any notice from the ACB on an allegation that contracts for Government advertisements were given to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s relatives.
In a statement the Delhi Government said, ‘’It has been noticed that a section of the media is running a news story quoting a Joint Commissioner of Police that the ACB has received a complaint regarding Delhi Government advertisements.’’
‘’He has reportedly stated that a notice has been issued to the Directorate of Information and Publicity, Government of NCT of Delhi, on the said complaint,’’ the statement added.
“The Directorate of Information and Publicity, Government of NCT of Delhi, makes it clear that no such notice has been received by the department,’’ it said.
The ACB officials however, claimed that they had sent two more notices-on September 15 and September 21, to DIP pertaining to the same issue.
In the evening, an inspector from the ACB approached the DIP and handed over the notice to them. “Provide the complete details of contracts/firms to whom advertisement work assigned from last 6 months by the Delhi Government. Certified copies of prescribed procedure of payments to said contracts firms for their work by Delhi government and certified copies of work awarded and payments made to said contractor firm for their work in last 6 months,” the notice said.