Punjab Irrigation Scam: VB gives clean chit to three retired IAS officers

Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

Three retired IAS officers have received major relief in Punjab’s alleged ₹1,200-crore irrigation scam after the Punjab Vigilance Bureau informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that no concrete evidence had been found against them.

Officers are former Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, former Special Chief Secretary KBS Sidhu, and former Irrigation Department Secretary Kahan Singh Pannu. According to the Vigilance status report, investigators found no recovery of alleged bribe money, no documentary proof of corruption and no witness who confirmed the bribery allegations against the three officers.

High Court had directed the Punjab government on May 15 to complete the inquiry within 15 days. The probe against the officers had been pending for more than three years.

The case relates to alleged irregularities in the allocation of irrigation and water-related projects during the Akali-BJP government between 2007 and 2017. It was alleged that tenders for projects worth ₹1,000–1,200 crore were structured to benefit contractor Gurinder Singh, causing losses to the state exchequer.

Vigilance Bureau conducted the inquiry under Vigilance Inquiry No. 08, registered on September 29, 2022. The investigation was largely based on a 2017 disclosure statement by Gurinder Singh made during the probe of an earlier FIR registered under several IPC sections and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

During the investigation, officials examined police records, departmental files, the challan, and witness statements, but found no material linking the three retired officers to bribery or irregularities. The bureau also clarified that the disclosure statement was not part of the original FIR challan.

Investigators further scrutinized 588 pages of records, including documents related to the original FIR and witness statements, but concluded that sufficient evidence was not available to connect the three officers to the alleged scam.

The Vigilance Bureau has now submitted its status report to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, marking a significant development in one of Punjab’s most prominent alleged corruption cases involving irrigation projects.