Irregularities in grain-lifting tenders: VB starts probe to verify allegations against Ashu

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After arresting Congress leader and former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in a corruption case in which his successor Sangat Singh Gilzian has also been named, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has initiated a probe to verify the allegations against Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) working president and former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore in allotment of labor and transport tenders for lifting grains.

The probe has been initiated after representatives of small contractors of labor and transport submitted a complaint to the VB in this regard.

VB chief director Varinder Kumar said, Ludhiana SSP (VB) has been asked to verify the allegations.

The plaintiffs alleged that after 2019-20 contracts in the tenders of labor and transportation for the grain markets in Punjab were allotted by the department to 20 to 25 big contractors at arbitrary rates bypassing 5,000 small contractors.

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It was also alleged that during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019-20, tender rates were suddenly doubled by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department. The complaint alleged that the tenders which were earlier allotted for Rs 10,000 were increased to Rs 20,000 to benefit big contractors in lieu of getting kickbacks from them.

There are about 2,500 grain markets in Punjab where around 700 tenders for labor and transportation are floated every year by government procurement agencies such as PUNSUP and PUNGRAIN, among others.

The complainants alleged involvement of Ashu, local MLAs and a deputy director rank official of the Food and Civil Supplies department who used to fix deals for each grain market between the contractors and the minister.

It has been alleged that local MLAs/halqa in-charges used to recommend the names of persons for allotment of contract. If a grain market was settled for Rs 1 crore, Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh was given to the MLA and the rest was shared between the minister and the department deputy director, a source in the VB said, citing the complaint.

The complaint named two main contractors who were favoured.

A VB official also pointed out that members of union of small contractors of labor and transport had held a press conference at Chandigarh on June 9 wherein they released documents relating to these alleged irregularities.

When contacted, Ashu said, Ask Vigilance Bureau about this.

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