Rupnagar khair wood auction under lens
Probe ordered after videos of prospective bidders emerged, claiming the auction was fixed
RUPNAGAR : The administration has marked an inquiry into auctioning of khair wood in Rupnagar district with the bidders smelling a rat in the process, alleging collusion between the rural development and panchayat department officials and local politicians.
Deputy commissioner Sonali Giri ordered the probe after videos of prospective bidders emerged, claiming the auction of the wood at Handla in Anandpur Sahib block was fixed.
They said the police and rural development department officials did not allow them to enter the auctioning site and conducted the process in a room involving Nearly 15 only bidders four were persons. not allowed to enter the room, it was alleged. Against the reserve price of Rs 27.40 lakh, and department finalised the bid at Rs 32 lakh for a bidder, who is close to a Congress leader, it is learnt. A similar auction at Baroohi village in Hoshiarpur fetched Rs 72 lakh against the reserve price of Rs 25 lakh, said department sources. The khair is a premium wood from which ‘katha’, a main integrant of pan masala is prepared. “We even went to the office of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), but no one listened to us. I am still ready to pay Rs 5 lakh more than the bid finalised by the district development
BIDDERS HAD ALLEGED THAT POLICE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPT OFFICIALS DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO ENTER THE AUCTIONING SITE AND CONDUCTED THE PROCESS WITH ONLY FOUR PERSONS
and panchayat officer (DDPO),” said Dimpi, a Mohalibased contractor. Another bidder said the police personnel even threatened them when they tried to lodge a complaint. “The auctioning potentially involved huge profits as khair wood was not cut in the village for 15 years,” he added.
One of the officials involved in the auction included a rural development employee against whom Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra had demanded an FIR for allegedly embezzling funds at Kotla village in the district. DDPO Baljinder Singh Grewal didn’t respond to phone calls and messages. DC Sonali Giri said she has asked the additional deputy commissioner to look into the matter.