Taking a cue from their Haryana’counterpart, Punjab bureaucracy seems to be taking a shelter under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Amended), while defending their colleagues booked by the state VB in alleged corruption casess, writes Pawan Kumar Bansal
As per the current inputs, Vigilance Bureaus from both Punjab and Haryana have suddenly started competing with each other as they swing into action for nailing corrupt public servants including senior officers and politicians who by their actions have caused tremendous loss to the State Exchequer and usurped public money. As on date, Punjab seems to have taken an edge over its younger sibling because of its roping in some former ministers and a couple of IAS officers whereas Haryana SVB, despite its lot of efforts has been lagging behind in this field. While Haryana has earned kudos for catching some HCS officers, who are known to enjoy powerful connections, it has not shown its grit by putting on mat any of the serving or retired IAS officers, most of whom have been enjoying unbridled powers in the regime of Manohar Lal Khattar, who seems hesitant to flex his muscles and upset the IAS Lobby.
No wonder, the Punjab bureaucracy akin to its Haryana counterpart, is making an all-out effort to use Section 17-A of The Prevention of Corruption Act (Amended) as a protective shield. When Punjab SVB booked Neelima, a 2008 batch IAS officer, the bureaucracy reportedly questioned the action on the ground that prior permission under the above section had not been taken. The SVB action has set the cat among pigeons. Panic has reportedly struck the state bureaucracy after registration of the case and the topic is in hot discussion in informal meetings. The Punjab IAS Officers Association has conveyed its resentment to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the registration of a case against their colleague Neelima in the industrial plot scam.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has booked former Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora, IAS officer Neelima and 10 other government officers for transferring a prime industrial plot to a real estate company for allowing it to establish a township by carving out plots.
The Punjab Civil Services Officers Association has gone on mass casual leave for a week against the move of vigilance bureau for not taking any sanctions before arresting Narender Singh Dhaliwal, Regional Transport Authority, Ludhiana. The association has described the action of vigilance bureau as “Illegal, wrongful and arbitrarily” as it had been taken on the basis of a mere statement of a private individual and without adopting a due procedure”.
