Punjab Owes Rs 37 Lakh for Raj Bhawan Vehicles

by The_unmuteenglish

Chandigarh, 26 December 2024: The UT Chandigarh Hospitality Department is owed Rs 36.99 lakh by the Punjab Government, according to the Director General of Audit (Central).

The expenses stem from two vehicles utilized by Punjab Raj Bhawan but funded by the UT administration.

An inspection report covering April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024, revealed the issue during an audit of the Director, Hospitality Department, UT Guest House, Sector 6.

The guest house, situated between the Punjab and Haryana Raj Bhawans, operates 51 rooms and 17 suites to host state guests, VIPs, and officials on duty or holiday.

The audit team found that two vehicles allotted to the Director, Hospitality Department, by a November 14, 2011 order were placed at Punjab Raj Bhawan’s disposal from July 22, 2013.

Records indicated that fuel, maintenance, and repair costs for these vehicles—totaling Rs 23.83 lakh between 2016-17 and 2023-24—were paid by the UT Guest House, despite the financial responsibility lying with the Punjab Government.

“Such expenditures are irregular and should be recovered,” the audit report stated.

Activist RK Garg, who accessed the report under the RTI Act, pointed out that similar objections had been raised in an earlier audit covering 2015-16. That inspection had flagged Rs 13.16 lakh spent on the vehicles, which included Rs 11.91 lakh accrued prior to 2015-16.

The vehicles were decommissioned and replaced in 2017. Combined costs across audits—spanning from 2015-16 to 2023-24—add up to Rs 36.99 lakh. No recovery has been made so far, per audit findings.

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