4 DTOs Shared Transportation ‘Expenses’

by

Pamela Wilson

The vigilance bureau inquiry into expenditure on Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s birth centenary celebrations detected financial irregularities in ‘official’ transport arrangements for people who were ferried to Khatkar Kalan village for a function in September 2008.

The inquiry was conducted on the complaint of the Human Empowerment League of Punjab (HELP). The Punjab Arts Council (PAC), which organised the function, claimed to have spent Rs 4.55 lakh on transportation. The district transport offices (DTOs) of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Rupnagar and Nawanshahr claimed to have spent Rs 1.2 lakh each, even though the number of vehicles and transportation charges were different for the districts, according to the mileage. The Ludhiana DTO paid the entire amount to a single dealer. The bill raised by Randhawa Auto Care is certified by cultural affairs minister Hira Singh Gabria’s political secretary Baljinder Singh Panesar. The firm claimed payment for 42 regular and 24 mini buses. The Jalandhar DTO claimed to have paid different bus operators, unions and individuals, but did not state the number of vehicles hired. The inquiry has revealed that many bogus receipts were presented by the Rupnagar transport office for reimbursement. A bus operator disowned signatures on a bill made in his name, while another said he had not even given his bus for hire for the function. “My signatures have been forged,’ he said in his written statement to the bureau. Another transporter revealed that though he was paid Rs 2,000 for fuel, the receipt was not issued in his name. A taxi operator, when questioned by the bureau, stated that he had not rented any vehicle to the PAC. Advocate HC Arora, an RTI activist, demanded strict action against the wrongdoers. Expressing shock at the revelations, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s nephew Prof Jagmohan Singh said, ‘He had expressed the wish to be remembered in a worthwhile manner,’ he said, quoting the martyr’s will. Parvinder Singh Kitna, general secretary, HELP, said he would also seek a probe into the expenditure Incurred on the inaugural function of the celebrations, held in Amritsar. Punjab News

quality and exclusive reporting to the Punjabis settled worldwide. Our success in bringing the Punjabis at home in the world has enabled us to launch this unique news based website.

Latest Punjab News

from leading news publications from all over India.

Article Source:

4 DTOs Shared Transportation ‘Expenses’