PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The president of the newly constituted Uttarakhand Swabhiman Morcha, Bobby Panwar has alleged that the additional director Swajal (Peyjal) Sujit Kumar Vikas was promoted by the Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam despite many cases of corruption. Addressing a Press conference here on Saturday, Panwar claimed that Vikas, a native of Ranchi in Jharkhand was appointed as assistant engineer in the Peyjal Nigam in the year 2005 and in the last 20 years he has amassed properties worth more than Rs 100 crore.
Panwar averred that Vikas has a firm in the name of his wife and he uses this firm to seek commission from the contractors and for other dubious deals. He claimed that in some documents Vikas has shown himself as a businessman. Showing documents, Panwar claimed that a contractor had submitted a complaint with an affidavit that he had given a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to Vikas for his registration in the corporation and some tenders. This money was transferred into the account of the firm owned by Vikas’ wife. Panwar further claimed that one Rahul Kumar had carried out a sting operation on Vikas in 2017 after the latter sought a bribe. The CD of the sting was provided to the State administration with the formal complaint. An inquiry headed by then chief engineer Vipin Chandra Purohit had found Vikas guilty but no action was taken against him.
Accusing Vikas of being a land mafia, Panwar claimed that many properties (both agricultural and residential) were purchased by the wife of Vikas and her firm. He said that the value of these properties in Dehradun district alone is in excess of Rs 100 crore. The USM president said that despite being controversial Vikas continued to receive promotions in the department. Panwar further said that work in the State Information Commission has come to a standstill in absence of a quorum. The commission at present has only one Information commissioner and eight posts of commissioner and one chief information commissioner are vacant. He demanded that the State government should take cognisance of the issue and fill the vacant posts in the State Information Commission.
