Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out searches at the premises of former senior officials of the Punjab Small Scale Industries and Export Corporation (PSSIEC) as part of its probe into the alleged fraudulent allotment of industrial plots in major Punjab cities.
The searches were conducted during the ongoing Punjab Assembly session. According to sources, the ED raided the residences of a former Chief General Manager, a former Executive Director and a former General Manager of the corporation. The agency has also sought records from the corporation’s headquarters.
Sources said the ED is investigating the alleged irregular allotment of at least 20 industrial plots in Mohali and Amritsar since 2012.
Last year, the central agency had written to the then Principal Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department and the Managing Director of the corporation, seeking details of industrial plots allotted since 2012, information on departmental or agency investigations into the matter, and copies of any FIRs registered in connection with the alleged irregularities.
The Punjab government reportedly declined to share the information, citing an ongoing Vigilance Bureau investigation. Later, considering the sensitivity of the matter and the involvement of a central agency, the Industries and Commerce Department referred the issue to the Chief Secretary for further directions.
The ED’s investigation is based on an FIR registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. The allegations relate to the allotment of industrial plots to allegedly benefit senior officials of the corporation.
The searches come amid heightened political activity ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, with political circles speculating that the role of central investigating agencies in the state could increase in the coming months.
