According to information, as many as 41 senior officers in Haryana state allegedly involved in corrupt practices are facing investigation by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the state in order to have a neat and clean bureaucracy in the state. While talking to media persons at Ferozpur Jhirka in Mewat state Haryana Chief Minister said that during previous Congress government rule in the state crime, corruption, caste based politics was ruling in Haryana and the present ruling government had to work hard to wipe out the same and relieve people in the state from sufferings. He said that it is only due to the ruling government that people residing in rural areas are getting 24 hours electricity supply and by the end of this year all 6200 villages in the state will be electrified having 24 hours supply of electricity. Among others present at the occasion were Dr Banwari Lal State Public Health Minister, Zaqir Hussain Chairman of Haryana Wakf Board and Naseen Ahmad MLA..The Chief Minister also laid foundation stones and also inaugurated 347 development projects in Mewat of the value worth Rs 2741 crores.
Khattar said that ruling BJP-JJP government in Haryana state working aiming at six ‘S’ policy which include Shiksha (education), Swasthaya (health), Surakhsha (Security), Swabhiman (self respect), Swalamban (self defence) and Sushasan (good administration) as a result people from within the country as well as across the world are today interested to invest in Haryana state. Khattar expressed deep concern over Congress leaders misguiding people and spreading false rumours as 35-40% unemployment in Haryana state as against only 6-7%, which is normal in a developing state.
In February this year, Manohar government in Haryana had changed the name of the State Vigilance Bureau to Anti Corruption Bureau under the charge of a senior IPS officer which trapped into its net large number of employees working in government offices in the state allegedly involved in corruption which included 41 senior officers including 12 IAS officers of (them 4 have already been retired in recent past sometime) , 2 IPS, 3 IFS, 20 HCS officers (of them 4 have been recently retired) and 4 HPS officers against whom investigation by Bureau is going on. The list of such senior officers found involved in corruption and investigation by ACB going on along with a long list of another government on ACB radar is available also with The Financial World, but will not be disclosed at this stage since charges have already been framed against few of them and many cases are under trial.
About a year to go for 2024 Assembly elections, the Haryana government is seeking to send an anti-corruption message with action against senior bureaucrats. An IAS officer has been arrested so far, an FIR has been lodged against another, while a probe has been started against a third by the Anti Corruption Bureau. Two other senior IAS officers are facing ACB probes in connection with a scam and action is also on against several other officials, including those belonging to the Haryana Civil Services. According to the ACB chief, several officials were arrested by its team red-handed while accepting bribes and pursuing cases seeking permission to prosecute them under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Information reveals that at least two senior IAS officers who are among those facing corruption charges have approached the state government challenging the ACB’s action. Sources said the government is examining the contentions of the officers.
As per figures released by the ACB, in 2022, the Bureau registered 246 corruption cases, the highest in the past 10 years. ACB Director General stated, the Bureau conducted 170 raids in 2022 and recovered Rs 6,21,70,230 on the spot and after searching the properties of the accused people a total of 193 government servants, including 27 gazetted officers as well as 27 private individuals, were arrested. Among the officers against whom the ACB has sought permission to act is Haryana Resident Commissioner D Suresh, a Principal Secretary-level IAS officer, in connection with a Gurgaon plot allotment case of 2019, which allegedly caused loss to the government exchequer. According to recent information he has challenged the state government for the blame and has moved a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking quashing of the three inquiry reports against him. Information also reveals that Suresh’s wife Kanthi D Suresh the editor-in-chief of the Gurgaon based digital sports news channel has approached the Haryana government seeking an FIR against a few ACB officials for threatening and for blackmail, forgery and impersonation.
In April, this year, ACB had lodged an FIR against Commissioner-rank officer Vijay Dahiya for alleged bribery. IAS officers Sonal Goel and Anita Yadav are facing an ACB probe over an alleged multi-crore scam in the Faridabad Municipal Corporation and this week the state police arrested an IAS officer, Dharmendra Singh, a former Sonipat Municipal Corporation Commissioner in a bribery case. Anil Nagar, an HCS official and then deputy secretary of the Haryana Public Service Commission was arrested in November 2021 allegedly while accepting a bribe of more than Rs 1 crore at his office.
Recently, HPCC president Udai Bhan dismissed claims by the ruling state government saying that the action against officers was isolated merely for having publicity. “You go to any office in the state, corruption has increased three-four fold since the past when Congress was ruling in the state,” Udai Bhan said, “ look at the fast increasing liquor and drug scams or mining scams in the state during the present ruling government in Haryana. Not only this, papers for government recruitment exams have leaked as many as 32 times in the past. Has the ruling government taken any action?” HPCC president raised the question.
