Lokayukta: Probe Rs 3 cr spent on ‘Rahagiri’ event by Gurugram MC

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 29

Haryana Lokayukta Justice Nawal Kishore Agarwal (retd) has recommended a probe by the ADGP (CID) into payments of Rs 3.06 crore made under the ‘Rahagiri’ programme in Gurugram and a stern action against the guilty.

The case pertains to payments made from May to August 2014 by the Gurugram Municipal Corporation, which organised ‘Rahagiri’ programme for citizens on Sunday of every month.

Families used to take part in cycling, acrobatics, yoga, cultural events and dance performances.

Aseem Takyar, a resident of Gurugram, had approached the Lokayukta after obtaining information under the RTI Act about the dubious payments. The Gurugram MC submitted before the Lokayukta that at the relevant time, Parveen Kumar was the Commissioner, who had retired, and admitted that certain rules were not followed.

An inquiry by a Superintendent of Police (SP), Lokayukta, revealed that the MC had allotted works without issuing advertisements. Firms, which were allotted works, were set up on the basis of forged documents; financial rules were flouted.

There was an allegation of favouring MDR Realcon with payments of over Rs 72 lakh, which the SP found true.

There was no record of beneficiaries of items distributed. The Director, Urban Local Bodies Department, submitted that the Gurugram MC didn’t adopt the procedure of e-tendering, which was required to be done as per the instructions issued by the government for works above Rs 5 lakh.

It was added that regarding the execution of works by companies formed on the basis of forged documents, an inquiry by an “independent agency” was necessary.

The Lokayukta order dated June 11 said “there is no iota of doubt in my mind that the execution/implementation of the pious case has been done at least as per the report of the SP, Lokayukta, and the report of the Director, Urban Local Bodies, by adopting unfair means, that too dehors the rules”.

He added that “under the garb of pious cause, public money cannot be misused for extraneous purposes”.

The report said that “it does not mean under the garb of public interest, any officer in purported exercise of his limit of Rs 50 lakh can spend the amount without following the legal procedure”.

Works allotted to dubious firms

• The Gurugram MC had organised ‘Rahagiri’ programme for citizens every month from May to August 2014
• During the programme, families participated in cycling, acrobatics, yoga, cultural events and dance performances
• An inquiry by the Lokayukta brought out that the civic body had allotted works without issuing advertisements
• Firms, which were allotted works, were set up on the basis of forged documents and financial rules were flouted