Burnt, soiled... excuses for 'lost' Haryana record

Chandigarh, March 15

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar today said about 1,100 ex-sarpanches were yet to hand over the development record. He was replying to a question whether there were complaints against sarpanches that necessitated e-tendering in gram panchayats.

“Someone is saying the record got washed away, another is pointing out it got burnt. An inquiry is on against them,” said Khattar.

Probe on, says Khattar

Someone is saying the record got washed away, another is pointing out it got burnt. An inquiry is on against them. —Manohar Lal Khattar, CM

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Haryana Lokayukta Justice Hari Pal Verma, in his report for 2021-22, which was tabled in the Vidhan Sabha in the last winter session (December 2022), had pointed out that “in most cases relating to the Department of Panchayats, the record of panchayats was found missing as it was in the custody of sarpanches”.

“It is necessary that wherever the necessary records are not maintained, the supervisory authorities should also be held responsible along with sarpanches, panches and gram sachivs, and strict action should be taken against them,” he said.

The report highlighted that Rs 48.79 lakh was recovered in six embezzlement cases from sarpanches and panchayat members during the proceedings before the Lokayukta. The last audit report of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), tabled in the winter session, for 2017-18 mentioned the misappropriation of Rs 3.06 crore. It included Rs 2.44 crore in 299 panchayats, which was either not handed over or partially handed over by the former sarpanches while handing over the charge to their successors. Also, in 21 panchayats, embezzlement of Rs 51.86 lakh was detected by wrong calculation of the closing balance or “less carrying forward” of the closing balance and non-accounting of income in the panchayat cash book.

A total of Rs 61.19 lakh as irregular or excess expenditure was detected in 262 panchayats while Rs 69.04 lakh was found paid in terms of fee to private advocates in 149 panchayats for defending cases in different courts, in excess of the prescribed limit.

The irregular expenditure included the amount incurred on the carriage of material the purchase of which could not be pointed out, irregular employment of Class IV employees, payments made to masons or labourers without approval and heavy amounts incurred on levelling shamlat land given on lease though it has to be paid by the lessees.

It also came to light that 99 panchayats spent Rs 1.95 crore on the purchase of RCC pipes from the open market instead of procuring these from the block office at 50 per cent subsidised rates. Non-recovery of lease money in 40 panchayats regarding shamlat land, hide and bones contracts and rent of shops amounting to Rs 81.47 lakh was also highlighted.

However, president of the Sapranches Association Ranbir Singh Samain denied any corruption in panchayats. “e-tendering will lead to more corruption. Former sarpanches have handed over the record to gram sachivs. The gram sachivs have not handed over the record further,” he claimed.