Probe into Panipat ‘streetlight scam’ begins

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, August 25

Streetlights have become a big political issue in Textile City Panipat. Maximum streetlights in the city are non-functional due to the lethargic attitude of the contractor as well as of Municipal Corporation Panipat (MCP) officials.

The ruling party councillors have alleged that there is a scam in the allotment of tenders of streetlights. A special committee headed by BJP councillor Dushyant Bhatt has started inquiry into the corruption in their contracts.

The MCP is in the limelight due to defunct streetlights these days. At sundown, many areas in the city, especially the sectors, plunge into darkness. Complaints of non-functional streetlights in the city have increased with an average of 40-50 complaints daily.

The municipal councillors of the ruling party raised the issue in the general house meeting held on August 10. They alleged a scam in the allotment of tenders of installation and maintenance of streetlights in the city.

Ravinder Bhatia, BJP councillor, ward 10, alleged that maximum streetlights in sector 11, 12, 25, 24 and 29 are defunct. We raised the issue in the general house meeting on August 10 and the commissioner constituted a special committee, which has started inquiry into the matter.

Lokesh Nagroo, councillor, ward 20, said, “It is unfortunate that the MCP is paying crores to contractors for streetlights but still, the city is in the dark.”

Dushyant Bhatt, councillor and head of the special committee, said that we have been collecting records from the MCP about the installation of streetlights, maintenance, tenders and work orders, payments to the contractors and other details from April 1, 2018 to August 10, 2019. The committee has received details of payments made to contractors from the accounts branch and also some details of tenders, he added.

A meeting of the committee members with higher officials of the MCP is scheduled for Monday, he said.

Om Prakash, Commissioner, MCP, said notices have been served on the electricity contractors to fix the non-functional streetlights or their security deposited would be forfeited. The records of streetlights have been provided to the committee. If the committee wants more records, those would be provided to them, the commissioner maintained.