Vigilance Bureau arrests contractor for misappropriating public funds in construction of judicial complex
Chandigarh 11 November, 2024 (WISHAVWARTA):- The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested accused Lakhwinder Singh, Managing Director of M/s Tung Builders Private Limited, Gurdaspur, who is a resident of village Tung in Gurdaspur for misusing public funds allocated for construction of district judicial complex at SBS Nagar. He had been absconding for more than three months.
Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the VB said the Public Works Department (PWD) had issued tenders in 2017 for construction of the Judicial Court Complex in SBS Nagar and it was awarded to the said Tung Builders Private Limited, Gurdaspur, on 03.08.2017. This project was to be completed within 18 months at a cost of Rs. 35,19,18,620. Later, the PWD had increased the project’s scope by adding parking and residential quarters for judges within the complex, raising the cost to Rs 65,91,47,000. However, the contractor Tung Builders, failed to complete the work within the stipulated time. Despite this, the officials/employees of the PWD, Nawanshahr, colluded with the said accused Lakhwinder Singh, the MD of Tung Builders, and made payments of approximately Rs 53,00,00,000 upto March 2023.
He further informed that due to the non-completion of this project within the agreed timeline, the allotment was terminated in May 2023 by the department, and a four-member committee was constituted to investigate the misuse of allocated funds.
The spokesperson added that the committee report had revealed that due to the negligence of eight officials/employees of the PWD, an excess payment of Rs 11,50,00,000 was made to aforementioned Tung Builders.
Based on this report, a case has registered against eight officials/employees of the Public Works Department along with said contractor of Tung Builders Private Limited under FIR No 98, dated 01.08.2024, under Sections 406, 409, 420 IPC, and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Sadar Police Station, Nawanshahr.
In this case further investigation was under progress and raids are being conducted at the residential and other locations of the remaining absconding accused, he said.
