HC puts state on notice over Rs 120-cr ‘fraud’ by panchayats

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken note of allegations regarding embezzlement of Rs 120.87 crore by gram panchayats across Punjab and asked the state to respond on the issue till October 17.

Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya’s Bench also issued notice to the state and other respondents, including Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond, after being told that a departmental inquiry had detected the irregularities. But action was not initiated despite recommendation by the minister concerned nearly two years ago.

The notice came on a petition filed against the state, the minister and 10 other respondents by Sukhpal Singh Gill. At the outset, his counsel, among other things, contended: “In a preliminary inquiry conducted by the department concerned, an embezzlement of Rs 120.87 crore by various gram panchayats had been detected. The minister concerned had recommended initiation of action in the matter on October 11, 2023. However, no further action has been taken so far.”

The notice issued by the Bench was accepted by Punjab Assistant Advocate General Satjot Singh Chahal on the respondent-state’s behalf before seeking time to file a reply. “In the meanwhile, the respondent-state shall also examine the stated threat to the petitioner’s life and liberty, and take appropriate action in this regard in accordance with law,” the Bench asserted.

In the petition filed before Justice Dahiya’s Bench, Gill sought directions to the official respondents to take appropriate action against the erring officials in the “multi-crore scam”, which allegedly surfaced in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats as per inquiry report dated September 27, 2023, and October 11, 2023.

The petitioner added that “the act and conduct of the cabinet minister would also suggest mercy to the guilty is injustice to the victim”. Going into the background of the matter, the petitioner contended that the then District Development and Panchayat Officer of Ludhiana, also having charge of Malerkotla Additional Deputy Commissioner, conducted a detailed inquiry regarding “award money pertaining to acquisition of land of six gram panchayats which came to the tune of Rs 244.54 crores”.

The respondent-officer forwarded the inquiry report to a senior official, who inquired into the matter and found substance vide inquiry report dated October 11, 2023. The petitioner added “surprisingly regular inquiry referred to an IAS officer vide letter dated March 26, 2024, was ordered to be kept on hold vide letter dated February 27 issued by the office of then financial commissioner rural development and panchayats”.