Jalandhar: A day after block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) Kulwinder Singh Randhawa ordered the demolition of a wall of his house at his native village (Ramgarh) in Kapurthala district, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Tuesday questioned his integrity. He alleged the vigilance bureau (VB) had registered a case against Randhawa for allegedly misappropriating Rs 40.85 lakh during his tenure as Amloh BDPO on Aug 9, 2024.Khaira also posted on his social media accounts a video of AAP Amloh MLA Garry Warring mentioning about the fraud involving the BDPO and showing a copy of the FIR. “How can a corrupt & tainted officer carry out his duty honestly? When @AAPPunjab MLA himself publicly stated that the said BDPO is thoroughly corrupt and got him suspended and arrested, how can I expect justice from such a dishonest officer?” Khaira asked. He urged chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab chief secretary to transfer the BDPO from Kapurthala district, as “he indulged in gross illegality of demolishing my property without notice, hearing, or verifying my ownership documents under political pressure.” Alleging that the demolition was carried out under political pressure, Khaira said the entire exercise reflected misuse of administrative machinery to target him and suppress democratic dissent. He sought an independent inquiry. BDPO Randhawa did not take calls, when the TOI contacted him for comment on the issue. ‘Illegal construction’ in CM village Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira posted a Google snapshot alleging that more than 25 feet of the street in the CM’s village, Satauj, was illegally possessed, and illegal construction was done by him and his family. He questioned whether the Punjab DGP and Sangrur DC had the audacity “to remove the illegal construction and possession”. MSID:: 128750958 413 |
