Vigilance’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) interrogated 3 SDOs, 5 JEs and 3 contractors at length at the headquarters today (Wednesday) in the drinking water scam of Theog. All of them were interrogated for about seven and a half hours from 10 am to 5.30 pm.
.
SIU has also taken details of the contractors’ bank accounts. Now the transactions done from their accounts are being monitored and it is being ascertained as to whose accounts the money has been transferred from the contractors’ accounts. It is believed that transactions have taken place from the accounts of contractors to the bank accounts of officers as well as some leaders.
ASP Vigilance Narveer Rathore said that the record of drinking water distribution prepared by SDO and JE through tanker has been taken into custody by SIU today. Vigilance is investigating every aspect of this matter in a professional manner.
After this, physical verification will start tomorrow. The vehicles from which water was supplied will be investigated. After completion of physical verification, SIU of Vigilance will do digital verification so that evidence can be collected in the scam of more than Rs 1 crore. After this there will be an FIR.
Government has suspended 10 officers in drinking water scam
Last Friday, the state government suspended 10 officials in the drinking water supply scam in Theog and handed over the investigation to Vigilance along with its departmental inquiry. Vigilance has formed SIU under the leadership of Additional SP Vigilance Narveer Rathore to investigate this matter.
He was suspended
After preliminary investigation, the government has arrested Matyana Division’s Suresh Kumar, Matyana’s JE Neem Chand, retired JE Sudarshan and Dharech Fagu’s JE Sunil Kumar suspended. Is.
CPI(M) MLA had made allegations of embezzlement
Former CPI(M) MLA Rakesh Singha had termed as false the claim of providing water worth Rs 1 crore 13 lakh to the people in Theog through tankers. He had alleged, ‘Water was transported in bike, Alto car, K-10, Honda City car and Bolero of the Horticulture Director.
22 thousand liters of water was carried on a bike in 11 trips. In lieu of this, Rs 23 thousand was paid. In Shimla, 15 thousand liters of water was supplied from the Bolero vehicle of the Horticulture Director. In return, an amount of Rs 94 thousand was given to the contractor.
Singha said- corruption exposed through RTI
Rakesh Singha, citing RTI information, had said that the Jal Shakti Department in Theog had provided water to the people during the summer this year and when the payment was made to the contractor, it seemed like a big embezzlement. He has demanded investigation from the Chief Secretary and appropriate action. If this did not happen, he also warned of gheraoing the secretariat.
Carried water on bike
Singha said that the Jal Shakti Department has also provided water to people on bikes. When the contractor produced the bills to collect the bills, numbers of vehicles like bike, Alto car, K-10, Honda City car and Bolero of the Horticulture Director were given. A vehicle was shown running 500 to 1000 kilometers in a single day, which is not possible in the mountains.
Singha He said that every year Rs 10-12 lakh were spent on water supply in Theog. But in 2024 this figure suddenly crossed one crore. Many vehicle numbers were also shown which do not exist. Even in some areas where there are no roads, water supply was seen through vehicles.
Payment made to the contractor within a month
Rakesh Singha said, the water supply money was paid to the contractor within a month. The officials also paid the bill without investigation. There is a huge shortage of water every year in Theog area, but due to the scam people could not get relief. There should be a high level investigation into the scam and in this case there should be milk of milk and water of water.
