In one of the most significant anti-corruption actions undertaken by the Uttarakhand government in recent years, strict disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against several officials allegedly involved in the controversial Haridwar Municipal Corporation land purchase case.
The state government has recommended the dismissal of former Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary, a 2017-batch IAS officer, while initiating major penalty proceedings against former District Magistrate Karmendra Singh. Following an extensive investigation, authorities concluded that serious irregularities were committed during the acquisition of land intended for a municipal waste disposal facility.
The controversy revolves around the purchase of 2.3070 hectares of land in Gram Sarai for use as a garbage dumping yard and waste management facility by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation. Investigators allege that agricultural land with an estimated market value of around ₹15 crore was acquired for approximately ₹54 crore, resulting in a direct financial loss of nearly ₹39 crore to the public exchequer. The inquiry found multiple structural violations of established administrative and financial procedures during the transaction.
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The Rapid Section 143 Conversion Bait
According to the investigation report, one of the most controversial aspects of the case concerns the unusually rapid conversion of the land’s classification under Section 143. Under normal circumstances, the process of converting agricultural land into commercial-use land can take several weeks or even months depending on regulatory approvals.
However, in this case, the sub-divisional magistrate’s office managed to expedite and complete the entire legal documentation and land-use conversion within just six to seven days from the initial application date.
The extraordinary speed of the process artificially inflated the circle rate of the plot from ₹6,000 per square meter up to ₹25,000 per square meter. This sudden manipulation attracted scrutiny from investigators and became a central focus of the multi-agency inquiry.
The state government had earlier suspended seven officials, including the then District Magistrate, Municipal Commissioner, and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, after preliminary findings by Urban Development Secretary Ranvir Singh Chauhan indicated widespread structural lapses.
Central Dismissal Trajectory for Bureaucrats
With the completion of a more detailed vigilance investigation and audit, the scope of enforcement action has now widened considerably. The State Vigilance Committee has approved the registration of criminal cases under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act against as many as 10 individuals, including the primary land sellers identified as Suman Devi, Jitendra Kumar, Abhishek Yadav, and Sujit Kumar Singh.
The harshest proposed action is targeted against former Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary. As a member of the Indian Administrative Service, any formal dismissal from service requires approval through the prescribed statutory process involving the competent authorities at the central level. The state government has therefore forwarded a formal recommendation to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for his immediate termination.
Departmental Penalties and Ledger Audits
Concurrently, former District Magistrate Karmendra Singh is set to face proceedings under the category of major punishment for gross negligence in the discharge of his official responsibilities. Such action can result in statutory penalties ranging from demotion to complete dismissal from service, depending on the findings of the secondary disciplinary process.
Disciplinary measures have also been finalized against former SDM Ajayveer Singh, with authorities recording a formal censure entry in his service book alongside the withholding of his next three annual salary increments.
Several other lower-ranked officials and employees connected with the municipal corporation and revenue administration have also come under scrutiny. The roles of Senior Finance Officer Nikita Bisht, Senior Personal Assistant Vicky, Registrar Kanungo Rajesh Kumar, and Chief Administrative Officer Kamaldas have been heavily examined.
In addition, the service extensions granted to Acting Assistant Municipal Commissioner Ravindra Dayal and Property Clerk Vedpal have been terminated. Acting Executive Engineer Anand Mishrawan, Tax and Revenue Superintendent Laxmikant Bhatt, and Junior Engineer D.C. Kandpal have already been placed under suspension while authorities freeze the corresponding bank accounts of the beneficiaries to ensure full asset recovery.
