Amritsar, Feb 13: An executive engineer with the Central Public Works Department in Amritsar is under investigation for corruption after a contractor alleged that payments for the IIM construction site were being withheld for bribes. Nitish Kumar was named in the First Information Report after the Central Bureau of Investigation verified claims that he sought illegal gratification to process official reimbursements.
Navjot Saini, who oversees Punjab administration for the infrastructure company, approached the CBI with allegations that the officer was obstructing the financial flow of a Rs 72 crore contract. Saini stated that although specific portions of the IIM Amritsar work were complete, the clearance of bills amounting to Rs 25 crore faced deliberate hurdles.
“After verification, the bills were to be forwarded to Kumar for the clearance of payments, but there was an unnecessary delay,” Saini mentioned during the reporting process.
The investigation was set in motion after Saini lodged a formal grievance with the DIG on February 4. Following a verification process that confirmed the validity of the claims, the CBI registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“The inquiry has been marked to an inspector to ensure a thorough investigation into the matter,” an official noted regarding the legal proceedings.
The agency is now scrutinizing the department’s records and the timeline of the bill submissions to establish the extent of the alleged misconduct.
