VIGILANCE REGISTERS CASE AGAINST FIVE CONTRACTORS FOR COMMITTING FRAUD DURING TRANSPORTATION OF FOOD GRAINS IN SRI MUKTSAR SAHIB GRAIN MARKETS

VIGILANCE REGISTERS CASE AGAINST FIVE CONTRACTORS FOR COMMITTING FRAUD DURING TRANSPORTATION OF FOOD GRAINS IN SRI MUKTSAR SAHIB GRAIN MARKETS

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing campaign against corruption in the state, has registered a criminal case against five contractors after finding fraud in allotment of tenders for transportation of food grains in various grain markets of Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Further investigation in this case was under progress.

Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the VB said this case has been registered against contractor Prem Chand, contractor Vishu Mittal, contractor Yogesh Gupta, Contractor Rajiv Kumar and Ramandeep Singh owner of Bhag Road Lines Transport under section 420, 465, 468, 471, 120-B of IPC at police station economic offences wing Ludhiana range.

Giving details, he added that during the investigations it was found that the above said accused during the year 2019-20 in conniving with each other had obtained tenders fraudulently for food grains transportation in connivance with the officers/officials of Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs. During the probe it has came to light that the above accused have submitted forged lists of vehicles for getting tenders which could not even transport food grains such as pickup vans, motorcycles, scooters etc.

He informed that during the probe, it was found that government money has been embezzled by these accused on the basis of fake gate passes. The department had passed the bills based on the forged gate passes and released the money to the contractors causing a loss to the state exchequer. The VB is hunting to arrest the said accused and further investigation into this case was under progress, he added.