Punjab Vigilance Bureau finds another grain lifting tenders scam, this time in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar

A spokesperson of the bureau on Friday said that the scam came to light while they were probing a case of mismansagement in labour and transportation tenders and works in the grain markets of SBS Nagar. A case in this regard had been registered on September 22 against contractors Telu Ram, Yashpal and Ajaypal (all from Udhanwal, Balachore tehsil) under section 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B and section 7, 8, 12, 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Police Station VB, Jalandhar.

During the probe It came to light that Telu Ram, Yashpal and Ajaypal had purchased many properties under their names and under the anmes of their family members.

As per details, Telu Ram is already in jail in the Ludhiana grain lifting scam case, while the other two men were on the run and teams had been formed to nab them. The spokesperson for the bureau said that during issuing tenders for labour cartage and transport in the grain markets for wheat/paddy/stock articles in the year 2020-2021, one Honey Kumar, proprietor of RS Co-operative labour and construction Society, had submitted a bid for obtaining the tender for Nawanshahr, Rahon clusters.

However, Honey’s bid was rejected without any reason and the tender was awarded to contractor Telu Ram for Nawanshahr cluster at 71 per cent higher rate, and for Rahon cluster at 72 per cent higher rate.

Likewise, for the year 2022-23, Honey Kumar again submitted bids at basic rate for labour works in Rahon and Nawanshahr clusters. But the district tender allocation committee rejected his bid again and allotted labour tenders to contractor Ajaypal at 73 per cent higher than basic rate in Nawanshahr cluster and 72 per cent higher rate at the Rahon cluster, he added.

The spokesperson further said the contractors Telu Ram and Yashpal at the time of filling the tenders for the year 2020-21 and contractor Ajaypal during the year 2020-21 and 2022-23 has attached online lists regarding the registration numbers of vehicles for transportation of goods, which are then required to be verified by the VB from respective district transport authorities.