The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) on Monday questioned former chief secretary of the state Sarvesh Kaushal for about eight hours in the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam that took place during the SAD-BJP government between 2012 and 2017.
As per reports, Kaushal was asked to fill a detailed performa on the assets he has bought during the past years, his earnings and was questioned over his role in allotment of works in the irrigation department. “But on being questioned, he denied all charges,” said an officer in the VB.
The scam pertains to the allotment of construction works by the irrigation department to the tune of ₹1,200 crore. Kaushal, who was issued summons on January 4, had returned from a foreign tour on December 28.
Kaushal is the third retired IAS officer called for questioning in the multi-crore scam. Earlier, the VB had quizzed Kahan Singh Pannu and KBS Sidhu, both retired, in the alleged scam in which former Akali ministers Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Janmeja Singh Sekhon are also facing the VB probe.
In the scam, crores of rupees from public exchequer were reported to be siphoned off. According to the VB, an accused contractor had claimed in questioning before the bureau that he paid bribe to three top IAS officers to clear the project files.
