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 a bidder, who is close to a Congress emerged, claiming the auction of leader, it is learnt. the wood at Handla in Anandpur A similar auction at Baroohi Sahib block was fixed. village in Hoshiarpur fetched Rs
They said the police and rural 72 lakh against the reserve price development department officials of Rs 25 lakh, said department did not allow them to enter sources. The khair is a premium the auctioning site and conducted wood from which ‘katha’, a main the process in a room integrant of pan masala is prepared. involving only four persons. “We even went to the Nearly 15 bidders were not office of the sub-divisional magistrate allowed to enter the room, it was (SDM), but no one listened alleged. Against the reserve price to us. I am still ready to of Rs 27.40 lakh, and department pay Rs 5 lakh more than the bid finalised the bid at Rs 32 lakh for 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.