An audit reveals irregularities in the way the Chandigarh Estate Office operates

Numerous inconsistencies were noted by the Chandigarh Principal Director of Audit in their report about the operations of the UT Estate office from 2021 to 2023.

The RTI Act was used by activist RK Garg to get the report, which revealed that the UT Administration had incurred a significant loss as a result of the collector rates not being finalized. 330 sites have been given away to various organizations, trusts, religious charitable trusts, and educational institutions since 1954, but the collector rates for these sites have not been decided upon even after 70 years, which has caused significant financial losses for the state exchequer as well as discomfort and uncertainty for the aforementioned institutions.

An approximate loss of Rs 3.55 crore was incurred due to the irregular disbursement of payments to contractual staff, whose numbers exceeded the authorized strength, as per the study. The audit also made note of the fact that the department failed to provide the sanctions received to justify the direct or indirect hiring of contractual employees beyond the sanctioned strength via an outsourcing firm. From April 1, 2019, to March 3, 2022, the department paid pay totaling Rs 3.55 crore to the surplus outsourced workforce.

According to the 2015 notification on the “Chandigarh policy on towers for mobile telephone and data services,” each tower must have a non-refundable licence fee of Rs 5 lakh for seven years deposited within 30 days of the licence being granted and before any work is done on the site, the report noted. Every seven years starting on the date of the notice, the charge must be at least doubled.

Records were checked, and it was discovered that several telecom firms had been granted authorization to erect mobile towers on 57 locations. According to the study, each mobile tower required a non-refundable licensing cost of Rs 10 lakh, which amounted to Rs 5.70 crore, and became due after seven years.

According to the study, between 1968 and 2010, the UT Estate Office granted leasehold or freehold status to various properties for educational and religious institutions and trusts. According to the allocation letter, the Capital of Punjab Act of 1952’s provisions would apply to the license. The relevant department has the responsibility of guaranteeing that government revenues and dues are appropriately and quickly assessed, collected, and credited to the consolidated fund. According to the study, Rs 35.26 crore had not been recouped in 52 instances.

The UT Administration’s residential, commercial, and institutional assets are all handled by the Estate Office. Its several divisions are in charge of keeping the records pertaining to the ownership of these properties. The Estate Office also makes sure that any construction infractions or abuse occur on the sites that are assigned, auctioned, or destroyed unexpected buildings.