Inquiry panel wary of Sukhbir OSD’s clout

MANSA: An inquiry that Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal sought a month ago has failed to take off, reportedly due to the clout of her husband’s officer on special duty (OSD) — one of the people under the scanner.

The Bathinda MP had sought probe into the distribution of inferior water tanks during one of her sangat darshan (public contact) programmes in early July.

Harendra Sra, the OSD to deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, wields so much influence that an inquiry committee member dreads filing an adverse report. "Sra is a political player, a yes-man of the deputy CM,” the member said. “I am sure I will be replaced, if our report holds him at fault.”

The 47 tanks were bought for `57 lakh. The low-grade product was purchased allegedly under Sra’s guidance.

The three-member inquiry committee includes the industries and commerce department general manager, besides the executive engineers of the public health and panchayati raj departments.

After sangat darshan, Harsimrat issued verbal orders to start the inquiry but the committee hasn’t met even once. Two of its members said they had not received any formal orders to be part of it.

The Mansa deputy commissioner, who issued the probe orders on July 22, hasn’t even reviewed the progress.