Punjab

Govt property in Goa ‘leased on cheaper rates’: Vigilance tights nose around two IAS officers  

punjabenews
Mohali News: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau is set to rope a woman IAS officer Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar and retired IAS officer Sanjay Kumar in connection with the case of leasing out the tourism department’s land located in Goa at a cheaper price. Sources said that in order to take legal action against the two officers, the Vigilance has written to the government for approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. 
      The approval for legal action against these two officers is to be given by the state personnel department.
      Vigilance officials said that in the case of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, the way approval was sought from the government, the same case is of these two officers. 
      Brar was posted as director in the tourism department while Sanjay Kumar was the principal secretary of the department. Kumar retired in February 2022.
       Senior officials said that within two years of retirement, if an investigating agency has to take action in case of any financial irregularity related to the government, then approval from the government is mandatory. During the preliminary investigation of the Vigilance, it was revealed that about 8 acres of land belonging to the Tourism Department in Goa was given on lease for 15 years at the rate of Rs. 1. 13 lakh per month. Vigilance officials say that the two IAS officers had played an important role in the leasing out of this land.
Therefore, after the approval of the government, further action will be taken to expedite the investigation of the Goa land case.     
        There has been an increase in the number of cases of investigations and registration of FIRs against IAS, PCS and police officers after the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power in Punjab.
        Due to this, there is panic among the civil and police officials. The Vigilance has forwarded the cases against six officials under Sections 17A and 19A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to the State Personnel Department for sanction.