Opinion Lokayukta Orders Probe Against Badal

[kds1980]

Lokayukta orders probe against Badal
Chandigarh, August 29, DHNS:

The Punjab Lokayukta on Monday ordered a probe against Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and former MLA of the Akali Dal Bibi Jagir Kaur to ascertain charges of misuse of public land in the state.


Bibi Jagir Kaur, the former chief of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee, has been accused of misusing 12 acres of public land at Begowal village allegedly for her personal use. A complaint in this regard was filed by Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. The Congress MLA has also accused Badal of aiding the SGPC chief in her alleged illegal pursuit.

Elections in the state are around the corner and this probe is likely to embarrass the ruling combine.

Khaira claims the land, valued at about Rs 100 crore, belongs to the village panchayat. He has alleged that Jagir Kaur got a society registered in which her daughter and son-in-law are president and secretary respectively.

Khaira accused that the society set up Sant Prem Singh International School and enrolled about 500 students. The complaint said the society misused the building infrastructure and staff of the school set up in about two acres of land. On the remaining 10 acres, rice has been planted. The school had been getting 95 per cent grant-in-aid from the Punjab government.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/187152/lokayukta-orders-probe-against-badal.html

 

[Arvind]

Let us see how effective the lokayukta and enquiry is! It would be wonderful to get thousands of crores poured back to economy, right now which is just a personal property!

 

[Archived_Member16]

Toothless Lokpal turning into white elephant
Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 30
“The Lokpal has left for the day……… Judge Sahib is not in office.” This is how the Punjab Lokpal’s office has been responding to calls on 2748326 for the past several days.

The Lokpal, with an annual budget of around Rs 2 crore, has decided 103 cases in the past five years. And none of them has resulted in conviction. The institution appears toothless and in no position to get its decisions implemented.

According information made available to The Tribune, the Lokpal has decided only one case in the past eight months. In 2010 too it had decided just one case. Little wonder the flow of complaints is said to have turned into a trickle.

In 2009, Lokpal Justice (retd) DS Dhaliwal settled 35 cases and in the preceding year 44. In 2007, 18 cases were decided but only four were disposed off in 2006.

The Lokpal secretariat comprises an Inspector-General of Police, a registrar and 25 other employees. There are also allegations that most of the staff members do not attend office regularly. In one particular case (complaint 38 / 2009 Gurmeet Singh vs Gurbachan Singh) action, it is alleged, has not been taken despite the IG, Lokpal having submitted his report because one of the parties is close to an influential MLA.

During the current year, the office of the Lokpal has spent Rs 56.40 lakh on rent for the building in which the Lokpal’s office is housed and Rs 4.87 lakh on petrol and repair of vehicles.

Information collected from the Department of Finance and other sources show that during 2005-06, the Lokpal staff received a salary of Rs 6,97,383, that rose to Rs 8,45, 064 in 2006-07 and Rs 9,30,209 in 2008-09.


source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110831/punjab.htm#5