Chandigarh, Oct 26 (PTI) An additional deputy commissioner has been arrested for allegedly embezzling funds released for compensation of land acquired in Punjab’s Patiala for the proposed Amritsar-Kolkata corridor, the vigilance bureau on Saturday.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Surinder Dhillon was posted in Muktsar.
A vigilance bureau spokesperson said Dhillon, earlier posted as district development and panchayat officer, faced charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The charges pertain to embezzlement and failure to perform duties regarding a grant of Rs 285 crore released for compensation related to 1,103 acres of land acquired for the proposed Amritsar-Kolkata corridor in Akkri, Sehra, Sehri, Takhtumajra and Pabra villages in the Shambhu block of Patiala district, the spokesperson said.
During the investigation, the vigilance bureau found that 30 per cent of the funds allocated was supposed to be deposited in the account of secretary (wages) of the block development and panchayat officer’s office but it was not done properly.
Only 10 per cent of the remaining funds was intended for the development of these villages while the accused overspent significantly, using around Rs 65 crore on paper for development projects, the spokesperson said.
Some of these projects existed only on paper and the actual work completed did not meet the required technical specifications, he added.
Earlier, some sarpanchs and panchayat members from these villages had been arrested in this case, the vigilance official said. PTI CHS CHS SZM
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