Karnal (Satish Handa): State Vigilance Bureau Haryana arrested Vikram Poonia District Town Planner (DTP) posted at Karnal under Haryana Town & Country Planning Department while accepting Rs 5 lakh bribe for regularizing an illegal residential colony on March 11, 2022. During raid at his residence vigilance team recovered Rs 78,84,630 from his residence admitted that Rambakhsh Tehsildar Karnal had given him Rs 14,50,000 for obtaining NCO of a registration case. Surprisingly, there are nearly 1250 illegally developed residential colonies in Haryana state awaiting approval from the government, of them nearly 850 colonies fulfilling the norms and having more than 25% developments in construction were approved by the government. Vigilance team also arrested Tehsildar Karnal Rambakhsh surprisingly posted at Karnal since past seven years on the information of arrested DTP Vikram Poonia during five days police remand allegedly both were running illegal property business jointly, taken bribe worth crores of rupees in number of cases. Vigilance investigation also revealed that 4754 embezzlements in registration cases were related to Karnal Tehsil.
Sources reveal that land mafias had purchased agriculture land at throw away prices from farmers aiming to develop residential colonies and sold plots to those willing to have their own residential houses at much higher prices making attractive assurances to buyers. According to a survey, there are nearly 500 unauthorized colonies in the state declared illegal so far causing worry to those spent their hard earned money for purchase of plot as well as construction in many cases. Information reveals, there are large number of land mafias involved in developing illegal colonies having blessings by DTPs and Tehsildars to register such properties on the basis of fake documents and NOCin unapproved colonies in the state.
Leaders of political parties in opposition blame involvement of senior bureaucrats and influential political leaders sheltering officers involved in corrupt practices and raised hue and cry in recent Vidhan Sabha session also demanding stern action against accused and stop increasing cases of bribery in government offices in the state. Vigilance team during police remand found that Rambakhsh Tehsildar had purchased several legal and illegal properties of value worth crores of rupees on his or family members name at Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Ratia and Fatehabad in Haryana in past sometime. During raid, police had also recovered money worth crores of rupees hidden under the beds in his house. Similarly, vigilance team detected that DTP Vikram Poonia also made huge investment in purchase of properties as well as in share market. The raiding team during search at the residence of DTP also recovered a dairy containing secret information, names and addresses of suspicious and influential persons.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala disclosed that committee constituted by the state government to investigate embezzlements in all property registration cases in all six divisions in Haryana in past four years detected large number of irregularities in registration of properties in all six divisions in the state including Karnal district where Deputy Commissioner Ameesh Yadav has been directed to taka action against 168 employees in Tehsil and BDPO offices where they are working on theeir seats since a long time directing to transfer them with immediate affect. Chautala said, question was raised against 156 clerks and 381 ‘Patwari’ involved in embezzlements in property registration cases posted in Tehsil offices but they failed to make clarification and action will be taken against them under Haryana Civil Services Rule. According to available data, Gurugram division in the state leads in maximum number of irregularities in property registrations identified as 64577 cases followed by 10849 cases in Rohtak division, 9774 cases in Karnal division, 2864 cases in Ambala division and 1066 cases in Hisar division.
