Record of tree pruning machines missing from Mohali Municipal Corporation office

Record of tree pruning machines missing from Mohali Municipal Corporation office

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, SAS Nagar, 2 June:
Former MC Kuljit Singh Bedi has alleged that the government records related to the purchase of controversial tree-pruning machines in the office of the Municipal Corporation Mohali, are ”missing” for quite some time. Bedi has given a memorandum to the commissioner demanding that the matter be investigated and an FIR should be lodged against the officials concerned. Bedi has sent written complaints to the Minister, Additional Chief Secretary and Director of Local Bodies Department in this regard. Bedi has also demanded the corporation to get Rs 89.50 lakh spent for the machine from the contractor.
Former councilor Bedi said that in January 2017, Municipal Corporation Mohali decided to purchase the tree-pruning machine and after the tenders were floated, an advance payment of Rs 89.50 lakh was made to a company. Interestingly, the machine was never handed over to the Corporation as the whole matter indulged in controversy. Later, an inquiry was conducted by the government and some officers were also charged. During the investigation, the Punjab government issued orders to recover 89.50 lakh rupees spent on behalf of the Municipal Corporation for the alleged huge discrepancies in the purchase of the machine and also issued the cancellation of the tender of the machine.
Bedi said that BR Bansal (Retd.) Additional District and Sessions Judge was appointed to investigate the matter. After the investigation the honorable Judge presented his report to the government on 20 October 2019, in which the discrepancies related to the purchase of the machine were confirmed.
Bedi said that till now the total amount to be recovered from the including interest is above Rs 2 crore but MC has taken no step for this recovery.
He alleged in the memorandum that the necessary record related to the purchase and investigation of the said tree-pruning machine is missing from the Corporation office. In this way, the Municipal Corporation has lost more than 2 crores in this case. He said that the disappearance of machine-related.
records from the corporation office is part of a larger conspiracy.
Bedi demanded that the file of this case should be traced immediately and if it not found, a police case should be registered. Also the corporation’s money should be recovered immediately.
He warned that if no concrete action related to the disappearance of the records of the said machine and recovery of money was not done, he would be forced to knock the door of the Hon’ble court to take action against the officials responsible for this conspiracy and.
Photo: Former councilor Kuljit Singh Bedi handing over the demand letter to the commissioner.