Audit report 2021-23: Punjab, Haryana owe Chandigarh Rs 4.42 crore licence fee for ministers’ houses

Licence fee to the tune of Rs 4.42 crore is pending in respect of houses occupied by ministers or deputy ministers of Punjab and Haryana in the city from the year 2021 to 2023, stated a report of the Director General of Audit (Central).

As per provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act-1966, licence fee at the rate fixed from time to time is recoverable in respect of houses allotted from the UT pool to the ministers of states of Punjab and Haryana.

According to the report obtained by RTI activist RK Garg, an audit of the office of the Assistant Controller (F&A) Rents, Chandigarh, was conducted for the years 2021 to 2023. The audit report pointed out that licence fee to the tune of Rs 4.42 crore was pending in respect of houses occupied by ministers or deputy ministers of Punjab and Haryana.

According to the records, houses/bungalows were allotted in different sectors of Chandigarh to ministers/ deputy ministers of Punjab and Haryana. It was observed that licence fee and interest amounting to Rs 4.42 crore was recoverable from these states up to March 31, 2023. While licence fee dues of ministers/ deputy ministers of Punjab were Rs 1.76 crore, ministers/deputy ministers of Haryana owed the UT a sum of Rs 2.66 crore, stated the report.

On being pointed out, the department replied that matter was in active consideration and being taken up with the governments of Punjab and Haryana regularly. Compliance will be intimated in due course.