3 contractors, firms booked over fraud in Punjab

PATIALA: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has registered a criminal case against three contractors and three firms after a fraud was detected in allotment of foodgrains and labour tenders in various grain markets of Sangrur district. Further investigation in this case is under progress.
The case has been registered against contractor Paramveer Singh, a resident of Dhanula (Barnala); contractor Jaswant Rai of village Malewal in SBS Nagar and contractor Rajiv Kumar Jaiton.The three firms are Zimmidara Transport Company, Khanna; Zaildar Contractors and Jagroop Singh & Sandeep Kumar, Malerkotla.
Divulging details, a VB spokesperson said that during the investigations, it was found that at the time of allotting tenders for food grain transportation, these accused, during the year 2019-20 and in connivance with each other, decreased the number of clusters for transportation.
“Earlier to this, there were about 58 clusters for transportation, 50 clusters for cartage and about 180 clusters for labor work due to which small contractors participated in the tender process. Due to the competition among the contractors, tenders having lower rates were allotted, but in the year 2020-21, the said clusters were made very big without any valid reason so that as per the new policy, small contractors couldn't fulfill the high turnover condition and participate in the tenders,” said the spokesperson.