Lokayukta, Dikshit face off once again

Justice Sarin sends notice to Delhi CM

 Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin and chief minister Sheila Dikshit began another bout on Monday.

The Delhi Lokayukta issued a show cause notice to her on a complaint that she issued government advertisements worth crores through an ineligible media consultancy company.

Complaint

Ashok Kumar, a Rohini resident, has  filed a complaint that the Delhi chief minister had misused her office to bypass established norms for the release of government advertisements.

“Upon consideration of the complaint, documents filed and brief notes submitted by the amicus curiae (advocate Anish Dayal) and as noted in the foregoing discussion, a prima facie case for inquiry into the allegations is made under Section 2 (1) (b) of the Act is made out,” said Justice Sarin in his order.

“Let notice be issued to the respondent (chief minister) to show cause why an inquiry in respect of allegations be not held.”

The complainant alleged that the company Ved Pohoja and Associates was neither empanelled with Delhi Information and Publicity (DIP) nor with the Union government’s Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), but was granted a contract as consultant year after year since 2003 through a manipulated tendering process.

Rs 6.3 cr contract

He added that the company was awarded work worth Rs 6.34 crore, ignoring empanelled agencies.

The complainant said advertisements were issued without retaining the 15 per cent commission, causing a loss to the exchequer.

According to the complaint, the loss incurred in just two years stands at Rs 73.28 lakh.

The company was granted the creative work contract for Delhi Transport Corporation bus queue shelters on percentage commission as opposed to the DIP norm of a fixed fee, the complaint said.
The chief minister has been given a month's time to respond to the notice.