MUKTSAR – Taking in view some recent scams, it has come to light that most of the times inquiries are conducted merely for eyewash as no action is taken against the accused thereafter and reports are pushed under the carpet.
In three much publicised scams of Muktsar district in the last about two to three years — including the note-for-vote scam in Kauni village, MGNREGA funds scam and death of a patient after treatment at the private clinic of a government doctor in Gidderbaha — nothing has happened to date.
In the note-for-vote scam of Kauni village in Gidderbaha sub-division, the complainant had submitted a video of about 11 minutes of the alleged vote-buying scene during the Lok Sabha elections, but the action is yet to be taken. The video had also shown a man wearing uniform allegedly attached as security guard with an SGPC member taking part in the electioneering.
The man who shot the video had first made a telephonic complaint on the same day to the then Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, alleging that some supporters of SGPC member Navtej Singh Kauni were distributing money in the village. Thereafter, a team headed by the then SDM, Gidderbaha, had gone to the village to determine the facts. However, after so many inquiries and exchange of documents between bureaucrats and policemen, nothing concrete has been done.
Similarly, in the MGNREGA funds scam pertaining to Rs 12.9 lakh, one after another inquiry is being marked since 2012. Till now, the then ADC (General), the then SDM Muktsar, the then ADC (Development) of Fazilka and local ADC (D) Muktsar have conducted inquiries into the case. Now, the state vigilance bureau is conducting an inquiry.
Notably, in the first inquiry conducted by the then ADC (General), the superintendent of Zila Parishad, Muktsar, had admitted the fault. She was later suspended but not only was she reinstated within a short period of time but also got posted at the same place. As per the inquiry report in possession of The Tribune, all officials and officers of the Zila Parishad were found guilty.
In yet another case, a patient allegedly died after getting treatment at the private clinic of Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Gidderbaha HN Singh, on September 19, 2013. The doctor was charge-sheeted after some departmental inquiries and the under secretary of the state government had indicted him of running a private clinic in violation of the service rules and informed the Governor, but no action has been taken to date. Later, the accused doctor was just transferred from Gidderbaha to Muktsar. Some equipment, including ECG machine, blood pressure apparatus, were seized from the spot.
When contacted, Dr HN Singh, Senior Medical Officer, Muktsar, said, “I am not aware of the status of this case.” Similarly, when questioned about the fate of other two cases, Additional Deputy Commissioner (D) Ramvir Singh said, “The vigilance is presently conducting an inquiry into the utilisation of MGNREGA stationary funds. Similarly, the case of alleged vote buying is lying with the state election commission.”
