Uttarakhand govt recommends dismissal of IAS officer in Rs 54-crore Haridwar land scam

Dehradun ( The Indian View team) : The Pushkar Singh Dhami government has recommended the dismissal of IAS officer Varun Chaudhary for his alleged role in the Rs 54-crore Haridwar land scam. The decision is part of action approved against 10 officials following a vigilance investigation into the 2024 purchase of 33 bighas of land by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation.

The vigilance probe found major irregularities in the land deal, which was carried out during the Model Code of Conduct for municipal elections. The land, located adjacent to Haridwar's municipal waste dumping site, was purchased at a price significantly higher than its market value. The government has cleared criminal prosecution against all 10 accused and approved disciplinary action against senior officials.

The proposal seeking action against Chaudhary and former Haridwar District Magistrate Karmendra Singh has been sent to the Union Department of Personnel and Training for approval. While Chaudhary faces dismissal, the government has recommended a major penalty against Singh. PCS officer Ajay Veer faces stoppage of three annual increments.

Chief Minister Dhami reviewed the case and reiterated the government's stand on corruption. “Cases will be registered against the accused following the vigilance report. Our government has a zero-tolerance policy on corruption,” he said.

According to the vigilance report, the land was wrongly converted to non-agricultural status under Section 143 before being purchased for Rs 54 crore. Investigators said the location of the plot next to the garbage dump raised serious questions over its valuation.

Following the initial inquiry, Chaudhary and Singh were suspended. With further evidence on record, the government has now moved for Chaudhary's dismissal and a major penalty against Singh. Vigilance will also register FIRs against then Assistant Municipal Commissioner Ravindra Kumar Dayal, Tax Superintendent Lakshmikant Bhatt, Assistant Engineer Anand Singh Mishra, clerk Vedpal, surveyor Dinesh Kandpal, and land sellers Suman Devi, Jitendra Kumar, Abhishek Yadav and Sujeet Kumar Singh.