Punjabi varsity SDO facing recovery of ₹2.7 cr for overpayment resigns
PATIALA : Eight months after the Punjab higher education department directed Punjabi University, Patiala, to recover Rs 2.7 crore from three of its employees who overpaid this amount to the contractor for construction projects in 2010, a sub-divisional officer (SDO), SS Cheema, named in the order has resigned.
The SDO did not inform any of the varsity authorities, except his immediate superior, an executive engineer.
The higher education department had acted on the basis of a state vigilance report.
The overpayment was made during the tenure of former vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh, with the vigilance naming three officers, one of whom has died. The projects were the construction of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) building, the University College of Engineering, renovation of hostels and the teaching block.
“The sub-divisional officer concerned has already stopped attending office. He only intimated his reporting manager, who is the executive engineer, that he is resigning,” an official said.
Executive engineer Manjeet Singh Sidhu confirmed that Cheema has tendered his resignation. “I am not aware of any pending inquiry against him,” he added.
Vice-chancellor Arvind said Cheema had approached his office for taking Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), but his file was not processed as he has a pending recovery case against him.
“There is a process in place for tendering resignation, and for its acceptance,” the V-C said, adding that the varsity has sought legal advise on how to apportion the division of recovery amount among those named in the vigilance report. “The university will recover the required amount, once the report is in,” he said.
“Even if Cheema has resigned, the university can recover its money from the financial benefits due to him for his services,” said a varsity official, not wanting to be named. Cheema could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
The vigilance had investigated the construction projects on an anonymous complaint it had received in 2017.
An audit report, prepared separately, had also expressed concern over siphoning of sand worth Rs 36 lakh during the construction of the basement of the engineering
department.