Punjab News

CHANDIGARH: Investigators wanting into Rs. 700 crore Philips-Signify plot rip-off, have discovered important proof connecting two IAS officers, heading separate companies meant to advertise trade and generate employment in Punjab, and the Industries Minister in-charge, for his or her collusion in corruption.

In keeping with sources within the Vigilance Bureau (VB), the Punjab State Industrial Improvement Company (PSIDC) headed by C. Sibin IAS, issued a no-objection certificates (NOC) on November 17, 2020, for transferring 25 acres of a primary industrial plot in Mohali to the Punjab Small Industries and Export Company (PSIEC) and permitting Philips-Signify, the occupants of the plot to promote it additional as per their alternative.

Sources preserve that the NOC violates clause 20 of the sale-deed registration of the plot dated Could 27, 1987, which states that the corporate shall use the mentioned land completely for establishing its industrial mission or some other objective as the federal government approves and for no different objective.

Clause 20 additional says that if the unit falls sick or turns into bankrupt, it is going to be returned to the federal government i.e. the PSIDC. “In case of a breach of a situation of allotment, this Company could have the appropriate to take again the possession of the plot, and the constructing and likewise forfeit all quantity paid by the corporate,” the allotment settlement states.

Aside from the violation of clause 20, the PSIDC feigned ignorance concerning the cost of Rs 27.29 crore by a potential purchaser Gulmohar Townships Restricted in 2 installments dated August 13, 2020, and October 22, 2020. It confirmed that the businesses, Philips and Gulmohar had PSIDC’s prior clandestine unwritten consent {that a} NOC will certainly be issued.

Quite the opposite, Abhay Kumar Gupta, a supervisor within the PSIDC objected to the transfer and despatched an in depth be aware saying the freehold plot couldn’t be transferred to PSIEC or some other third get together citing totally different guidelines and notifications of the Punjab authorities. The switch coverage of 2017 didn’t cowl the Philips industrial plot, Gupta wrote.

Over-ruling the recommendation of Gupta, MD C. Sibin, in a terse be aware mentioned that as PSIDC didn’t have an institution, a NOC ought to be issued for the switch of the plot to PSIEC (learn on the market to the Gulmohar Townships).

Assistant Labour Commissioner, Ms Monapuri too wrote Philips administration telling them that the manufacturing facility can’t be closed with the approval of the federal government as 1,500 staff employed. However as every thing appeared “set,” her objection was pushed below the carpet.

As soon as the NOC was issued, on March 3, 2021, M/s Philips, (additionally referred to as M/s Signify Improvements) entered right into a sale settlement with actual property firm M/s Gulmohar Townships. The PSIEC accredited the transfer dropping no time with none mission report concerning the objective for which the plot was being bought to an organization primarily engaged in actual property enterprise.

The PSIEC, in violation of the clause 20 of the registry, modified the situations allowed use of the plot for a number of functions, together with housing. This finally turned an industrial mission to an actual property mission.

The rocket-speed with which an utility of M/s Gulmohar, searching for permission from PSIEC to bifurcate the plot into smaller ones, confirmed all had been serving to one another’s private curiosity, not of Punjab.

On March 16, 2021, Gulmohar’s Jagdeep Singh despatched an utility for bifurcation of the 25-acre plot to PSIEC. On March 17, 2021, the Industries Minister ordered MD PSIEC to ship by March 18, 2021, an inventory of all bifurcation instances pending until March 16, 2021, the day when M/s Gulmohar made a request.

On the identical day, MD Neelima constituted a 10-member committee to recommendation. On March 19, the committee met within the workplace room of S.P. Singh. March 20 and 21 had been holidays because it was Saturday and Sunday. On March 22, SP Singh submitted the report of the committee to the MD. On March 23, the MD Neelima put her signatures of approval on the bifurcation request. And on March 24, an approval letter was issued. All the pieces bought handled inside 6-working days.

Now, the VB has discovered that issuance of bifurcation letter on March 24, 2021 was simply an eyewash. M/s Gulmohar had bought 24 small-sized plots incomes Rs 17.55 crore, a lot earlier than the approval was granted. The cost from the consumers had been accepted by means of banking channels that proves that each one key officers of PSIDC, PSIEC, M/s Philips and M/s Gulmohar had been performing in tandem to fleece the state.