The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now set to investigate the tender scam exposed during the Congress Govt.’s reign. Following an investigation into the irregularities in the tenders for transportation of goods in the Food and Supplies Department of Punjab, Vigilance had registered a case against more than 15 officers and employees including former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and subsequently arrested them. Now ED has summoned the records of the entire investigation. Since Vigilance has revealed this scam of more than Rs 2000 crore, ED will again open layers of details by conducting a detailed investigation against the accused.
After preliminary investigation, many accused have come out of jail on bail. Now he may be interrogated again. Many officers involved in the scam had fled abroad, Vigilance has started action to attach or attach their properties. The troubles of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and other officers are also sure to increase. ED officials say that they have sought records of the Food and Supplies Department for three financial years from the government. These three financial years include 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23. Out of three years, two years are of Congress's tenure and one year of AAP's tenure. ED will investigate the tenders awarded so far during both the governments.
After preliminary investigation, many accused have been released from jail on bail. But now they may be interrogated again. Many officers involved in the scam had fled abroad, Vigilance has started action to attach or attach their properties. The troubles of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and other officers are also sure to increase. ED officials say that they have sought records of the Food and Supplies Department for three financial years from the government. These three financial years include 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23. Out of three years, two years are of Congress's tenure and one year of AAP's tenure. ED will investigate the tenders awarded so far during both the governments.
ED has also asked for the record of the process of tender given for transportation of goods and other works in the Food and Supplies Department from the present government. During this time, ED will investigate whether any changes have been made in the tender process in the AAP government as compared to the Congress government or whether the tenders are allotted as before and whether there is a possibility of irregularities in it or not.
What are the aspects that the ED will investigate?
- How many tenders were made in the last three years and to whom were these tenders given?
- What are the criteria and rules of the government or department for allotting tenders?
- When and how many transactions did the department make regarding these tenders?
- Which vehicles were used to transport goods?
- For which districts and from where were the tenders given for transporting goods?
- How many transactions worth crores took place from Govt. Banks to the contractor’s bank accounts?
ED will investigate whose role was played
ED will also re-investigate what was the role of which officer and employee in the scam. How many allegations were made against whom? Were the allegations fully investigated? Was the charge sheet prepared on the basis of the accused and were the accused punished? At the same time, the role of the minister will also be re-assessed.
Ministers involved in the scam are on ED's radar
After the formation of Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, Vigilance had opened investigation against the ministers of the former Congress. These include former Food and Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, former Minister Sangat Singh Giljian, Sundar Sham Arora etc. Following the Vigilance investigation, these ministers are on the ED’s radar.