Burning updates: Chandigarh

Scams in labor and transportation tenders were also exposed in the grain markets of Nawanshahr.

A case has been filed against the mentioned contractors, the investigation into the role of other tenderers and government officials is ongoing

Chandigarh:
During the investigation conducted by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau regarding the fraud in labor cartage and transport tenders and works of grain markets, the concerned officers/employees of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and the concerned officers/ of the procurement agencies. A case was registered against three contractors today at the Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Jalandhar, on the charges of collusion between the employees and the contractors for fraud and embezzlement of the government exchequer. The rest of the allegations in the complaint and the role of other tenderers and government officials/employees of the district will be considered during the investigation of the case.

Giving information about this today, the spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said that after the bureau investigated the fraud in labor and transportation tenders and works in the fodder markets of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, after the charges were proved, the contractor Telu Ram, Case No: 18 dated 22-09-2022 IPC against contractor Yashpal and contractor Ajaypal Vasian of village Udhanwal, tehsil Balachore. Under section 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B and section 7, 8, 12, 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Jalandhar.It is to be noted that Telu Ram, Yashpal and Ajaypal, the accused in the above case, have created a lot of properties in the name of themselves and their families due to such scams, which will be thoroughly investigated during the investigation. It is also worth mentioning that the above accused contractor Telu Ram is already in jail due to his arrest in a case registered by Vigilance Bureau Range Ludhiana. The Bureau is conducting raids by forming teams to arrest the remaining two accused, contractor Yashpal and contractor Ajaypal, who will be arrested soon and many more important clues are likely to be found after their arrest.

Giving more information in this regard, the spokesperson said that during the tenders for labor cartage and transport in grain markets for wheat/paddy/stock articles, Rs. In the year 2020-2021, Nawanshahr and Ranho cluster and P.G. In Gadown Nawanshahr, only labor tenders were floated at basic rate but were rejected by the department on no basis and these tenders were awarded to contractor Telu Ram for Nawanshahr cluster at 71 percent higher rate and Ranhon cluster at 72 percent higher rate. were given Later, in the tenders called for the year 2022-23, Honey Kumar got tenders for labor work in Rahon cluster and Nawanshahr cluster from his said council at basic rate, but the district allocation committee rejected those tenders and gave labor to the contractor Ajaypal in Nawanshahr cluster. 73 percent more for the works and 72 percent more in the Ranho cluster.The spokesperson said that at the time of filling the tenders for the year 2020-21, contractor Telu Ram and contractor Yashpal, while during the year 2020-21 and 2022-23 contractor Ajaypal, the record of the online lists submitted regarding the vehicles for the transportation of goods was verified by the respective district transport authorities. It was conducted in which a large number of vehicles such as scooters, motorcycles, cars, pickups, tractor trailers, close body trucks, LPG Tankers and harvesters etc. were involved, while the goods cannot be transported on these vehicles. Thus, along with the numbers of fake vehicles in these gate passes, the details of the quantity of goods are prima facie a case of fake reporting and the case of embezzlement of the goods shown in these gate passes is also revealed. He said that the concerned officials/employees of the department have also paid the said contractors for the work done without checking these gate passes.

The spokesperson said that at the time of filling the tenders for the year 2020-21, contractor Telu Ram and contractor Yashpal, while during the year 2020-21 and 2022-23 contractor Ajaypal, the record of the online lists submitted regarding the vehicles for the transportation of goods was verified by the respective district transport authorities. It was conducted in which a large number of vehicles such as scooters, motorcycles, cars, pickups, tractor trailers, close body trucks, LPG Tankers and harvesters etc. were involved, while the goods cannot be transported on these vehicles. Thus, along with the numbers of fake vehicles in these gate passes, the details of the quantity of goods are prima facie a case of fake reporting and the case of embezzlement of the goods shown in these gate passes is also revealed. He said that the concerned officials/employees of the department have also paid the said contractors for the work done without checking these gate passes.

He also revealed that apart from this, on checking the photocopies of Aadhaar cards of the workers provided by the said contractors during the tender process, it was found that many of these Aadhaar cards belong to minor workers, many Aadhaar cards are from 60 years of age. Elderly and many Aadhaar cards are not readable. Because of this, according to the facts, the District Tender Committee should have rejected the technical bid of the concerned contractors, which was not done. And in connivance with the concerned officials/employees of the respective procurement agencies, fraud has been committed in the labor cartage and transport tenders for the transportation of grain in the grain markets, on the basis of which this case has been registered.