Punjab Vigilance Bureau has been seeking permission from the government to start a probe into the 1,000 crores irrigation scam in Punjab and after months, it has got approval from the CM of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann. Reportedly, the investigation file related to the scam was pending for a long time the Vigilance Bureau Chief wrote around three letters seeking permission.
After getting permission from the Punjab government, Vigilance Bureau has initiated an inquiry into the case. It is being said that 2 former Akali Dal ministers, Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and 3 retired IAS officers named Sarvesh Kaushal, KBS Sidhu and Kahan Singh Pannu are under the scanner of the VB.
Reportedly, the investigation into the irrigation scam in Punjab may lead to big disclosures that can result in the heating up of the political environment of the state. The decision by CM Mann to allow inquiry has put up tensions in the head of the above-mentioned former ministers and IAS officers.
Talking about the scam of which inquiry is being done is Under the Captain government, the vigilance department registered criminal cases on two sitting and four retired officers for wrongly allotting irrigation tenders. The probe revealed how a small-time contractor Gurinder Singh influenced the irrigation department and earned millions. Various tenders were tailored for him. Gurinder was close to senior Akali leaders.
He made over 30 illegal properties of around 100 crore rupees. He was allotted tenders worth Rs 1000 crore which had no parallels. The rightful process was ignored and all this was done jointly by the then ministers and government officials.
A money laundering case was initiated based on the said corruption allegations. In the probe undertaken by ED, proceeds of crime worth almost Rs 42 crores were found in the Bank accounts of Gurinder Singh contractor which have now been attached to the case by the department.
It will be interesting to watch which all ministers and officers will be attached to this case and will any action be taken against them.