2 dist food and civil supplies controllers held

The Vigilance Bureau arrested two district food and civil supplies controllers (DFSCs) in the ₹2,000 cr food grain transportation scam on Tuesday. The VB has also initiated proclaimed-offender proceedings against three accused – RK Singla, dismissed deputy director of food and civil supplies, Pankaj Kumar alias Menu Malhotra and Inderjit Singh alias Indi, -- personal assistants (PAs) of former food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

The scam is related to the allotment of tenders for the transportation of grains during Ashu’s tenure as food and supply minister in the previous Congress government.

On August 16 2022, the vigilance bureau registered a case against the partners of Gurdas Ram and Company, officials of the state food and civil supplies department, and employees of concerned procurement agencies for allegedly committing irregularities in accepting labour, cartage and transportation tenders for grain markets in Ludhiana district.

A total of six accused have been arrested in the case to date. The VB had filed a preliminary chargesheet in the court against Ashu, contractor Telu Ram and commission agent (arhtiya) Krishan Lal Dhotiwala in the court on November 14. Gagandeep Sunny Bhalla, a congress councillor and a loyalist of former congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, was also arrested by VB on October 12. Later, VB gave him a clean chit, stating that Bhalla had no involvement in the scam.

VB spokesperson said that during the investigation into the scam, the names of DFSCs Sukhwinder Singh Gill (then DFSC Ludhiana-West) and Harveen Kaur (then DFSC Ludhiana East) popped up. Sukhwinder Singh Gill is posted as DFSC, Faridkot, and Harveen Kaur is posted as DFSC, Jalandhar. The VB arrested them from different locations.

“Sukhwinder and Harveen were members /conveners of the district tender committee. But they did not verify the registration numbers of vehicles intentionally, as the number of scooters and motorcycles was mentioned in the attached list of vehicles. Despite the submission of wrong documents, the officers allotted tenders to their favourite contractors by accepting bribe,” said the spokesperson.

“Sukhwinder had taken ₹2 lakh and an iPhone as a bribe, while Harveen had taken ₹3 lakh as a bribe from the accused contractor Telu Ram. Both accused will be produced in court tomorrow,” he added.