SHIMLA, March 28: The no-nonsense protestations of Prem Kumar Dhumal notwithstanding, the way his Government which has the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) as a coalition partner and Sukh Ram as the seniormost Cabinet Minister, handles Enforcement cases regarding the laying of optical cable fibre will test his resolve to fight corruption.The cases involve 14 officials of the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and about 40 private contractors, including several supporters of Sukh Ram, former Communications Minister.The DoT continues to question the jurisdiction of the State Government agencies to book its officials or probe its works, but the Enforcement Department (ED) has completed investigations in two cases. The report submitted to the Government seeking sanction for prosecution, confirms irregularities and misuse of Government funds during the laying of the optical fibre cable in the State.The names of several relatives and supporters of Sukh Ram and scores of Congressmen figure in the FirstInformation Reports (FIR), but, interestingly, Sukh Ram's name does not figure in them. ``The FIRs were politically motivated and had been registered at the instance of Virbhadra Singh just to defame me and my family members ,'' maintains Sukh Ram.Inquiries reveal that the State Government had written to the Central Government asking for permission to prosecute eight DoT officials, who were allegedly involved in the award of the contracts for laying cable, and also the contractors involved in their execution, even when they had no experience. It is alleged that the officials had awarded the contracts at the instance of Sukh Ram, who was then the Minister in charge in the Central Government.``Investigations into two other FIRs, one relating to laying of optical fibre cable for Kotli (home town of Sukh Ram), are in an advanced stage,'' a senior Government official said. The ED officials were tight-lipped over the probe, but denied any Government interference in the probe. Dhumal says, ``We will notwithdraw the FIRs and allow the law to take its own course. Sukh Ram too has not asked for a review or cancellation. Rather, he wants the investigations expedited and challans presented in the court.'' Even in cases of alleged encroachments against Sukh Ram which had been proved by former Deputy Commissioner of Mandi Subhash Ahulwalia, the Government would decide things on merit, Dhumal added. The FIRs against DoT officials and contractors were filed in June, 1996, following complaints raising objections to the manner in which the contracts had been awarded and the way the works were executed by the contractors, mostly Congressmen. The total sum involved is more than Rs 6 crore.
