Recent revelations have sent shockwaves through the Zirakpur municipal council. Allegations of a staggering scam worth Rs 1,000 crore have surfaced, dwarfing previous estimations of Rs 350 crore. The bombshell was dropped by Zirakpur MC officers themselves during an inquiry by the assembly committee investigating the Rs 350-crore scandal.
The assembly committee, tasked with scrutinizing various urban local bodies (ULBs) for irregularities, has vowed to take decisive action against those implicated. Led by Gurpreet Singh Gogi, an MLA from the AAP representing Ludhiana West constituency, the 13-member committee is leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of justice.
In response to the committee’s inquiries, officials from the Zirakpur MC submitted a damning reply, advocating for a rigorous vigilance probe into the financial malfeasance plaguing the municipality. According to insiders, the scam appears to be deeply entrenched, stemming from a nefarious nexus between unscrupulous builders and complicit MC officials.
The crux of the issue lies in the illicit issuance of permissions to construct housing societies, residential complexes, and commercial edifices. Shockingly, it seems that numerous approvals were granted without proper scrutiny, leading to a proliferation of unauthorized structures and blatant flouting of regulations.
This is not the first time that Zirakpur MC has come under the scanner. In 2019, a vigilance probe was initiated following allegations of fake No Objection Certificates (NOCs) being issued and building plans being approved without due diligence. Moreover, in December 2022, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau initiated a disproportionate assets case against Girish Verma, the then-executive officer of the Nagar Council in Zirakpur, for amassing wealth through misuse of his official position.
The gravity of the situation has prompted the assembly committee to demand a comprehensive report from the Zirakpur MC within two months. Moreover, stringent directives have been issued to identify the perpetrators and ensure that FIRs are lodged against them without delay.
