New Delhi: In Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, the land worth ₹15 crore was bought for ₹54 crore in what is claimed to be a massive land scam. The Pushkar Dhami government has now suspended 12 individuals, allegedly including two IAS officers and a PCS officer. The case has been handed over to the Vigilance Department for further investigation.
The suspension comes after the probe report was submitted to the government by IAS officer Ranveer Singh Chauhan. Following the probe report, former Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary and SDM Ajayveer Singh were suspended .
In Haridwar, the Municipal Corporation was accused of buying 35 acre of unsuitable and cheap agricultural land located near Kudra Dhaar for Rs 54 crore without any need. It was informed at that time the circle rate was around Rs 6,000 per square meter due to the land use being agriculture. The total worth of the agricultural land was said to be around Rs 15 crore, but its land use was changed to commercial.
Later, the Municipal Corporation bought the land after changer in land use. There are allegations that neither the Municipal Corporation Act nor the rules of the government were followed in buying the land. Also, there was no transparency in the bidding process, a blatant violation of government purchase rules.
The investigation so far
After the scam came into light, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami handed over the probe to IAS officer Chauhan. Visiting the area, he recorded the statements of 24 people including the concerned officials and the parties related to the land purchase. Chauhan analysed the rules, papers and procedures. Further investigations revealed that the land was purchased to build a warehouse.
The land deal in Haridwar was finalised in November 2024. It is also said that Mayor Kiran Jaiswal reportedly exposed the scam by giving a written complaint to CM Dhami as soon as she assumed office. It was only after his complaint that Ranveer Singh was given the responsibility to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Officers suspended
So far, eight officers have been arrested namely senior finance officer Nikita Bisht, senior personal assistant Vicky, registrar law officer Rajesh Kumar, chief administrative officer Kamal Das. Earlier, assistant municipal commissioner in charge of the municipal corporation, Ravindra Kumar Dayal, executive engineer in charge Anand Singh Mishravan, tax and revenue superintendent Laxmikant Bhatt, junior engineer Dinesh Chandra Kandpal were suspended. Although, property clerk Vedwal was given an extension, as soon as the suspect was found to be guilty in the case, his extension was immediately cancelled.
