Capt nod to probe two ex-ministers

VB ALSO GETS GO-AHEAD TO SEEK PERMISSION FROM PERSONNEL DEPT TO PROBE AN EX- CHIEF SECY, A RETD IAS OFFICER, AND A SPECIAL CHIEF SECRETARY

PATIALA Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has given the nod to the Vigilance Bureau (VB) to probe former ministers and senior Akali leaders Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Janmeja Singh Sekhon for their alleged role in the ₹1,000-crore irrigation scam.

Dhillon is the leader of the SAD legislative group in the Punjab assembly, and both he and Sekhon were irrigation ministers in the previous Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government. With the CM’s go-ahead, the VB will now be able to investigate the role of two former ministers.

The chief minister has also allowed the VB to seek “prior permission” from the personnel department to probe former chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, special chief secretary KBS Sidhu, and retired IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu in the case, said a CMO official .

Chief secretary Vini Mahajan, who is also principal secretary (personnel), will now put up the file to the chief minister again. All three bureaucrats had served in the irrigation department during the previous government.

The chief minister, who holds the vigilance and personnel portfolios, granted these approvals on June 23, 2020, on the basis of a six-page summary of the VB investigation report, along with 109 pages of documents, listing evidence and statements. The VB documents, accessed by HT, contain details of the alleged irregularities, modus operandi and the corruption involved.

As per the VB investigations, irrigation works worth ₹1,000 crore were awarded to contractor Gurinder Singh Bhapa through “tailor-made tenders”. The VB started a probe in April 2017 after the change in government and an FIR was registered four months later. Gurinder was arrested by VB in December 2017 and he named ministers and bureaucrats for facilitating the award of tenders to him.

After the chief minister’s nod, secretary, vigilance, VP Singh, on June 26, wrote to the personnel department to seek “pre-approval” under section 17(a) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018, against the IAS officers, while a letter was also sent to the parliamentary affairs department for approval with regard to the two former ministers and their personal assistants. Chief secretary Vini Mahajan and VP Singh did not respond to calls and text messages.

Former minister, official deny allegations

“I am not aware whether any such inquiry took place. If such an inquiry is marked against me and Dhillon, it’s a ploy of Congress govt to divert public attention from its mishandling of Covid-19. Neither did I sign any tender file, nor did I help any contractor. Vigilance is misusing the statement taken forcibly from the contractor,” ex-irrigation minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon said.

Retired IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu said: “It is another attempt by an unscrupulous person to target me. I tightened the noose against Gurinder, and he is deliberately naming me so that I could not depose against him in court. I am astonished that VB has sought pre-sanction against me.”

Former chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal refused to comment on the matter, while former irrigation minister Dhillon was incommunicado after having tested positive for Covid-19. Special chief secretary KBS Sidhu did not respond to the calls and messages sent by this correspondent.