By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 3 Jun: Three very senior officers, namely DM Haridwar Karmendra Singh, IAS officer Varun Chaudhary, and PCS officer Ajayveer Singh today faced suspension as one of the fallouts of the Rs 54 crores Haridwar land scam. The action, based on an investigation report by Secretary Ranveer Singh Chauhan, has sparked discussions on the experience and accountability of officers in key administrative roles.
One look at the professional career of the officers concerned reveals that they do not have a long track record of crucial field postings before their controversial postings.
Karmendra Singh (IAS, 2011 batch): Currently suspended Haridwar District Magistrate Karmendra Singh was in fact serving in his first field posting in the state. He was considered to be an officer of a calm and composed nature. Singh had earlier worked as Secretary, Public Service Commission, and as Additional Secretary at the Secretariat looking after the Personnel Department. He was transferred to Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh in 2020 and hails from Gorakhpur. So far, Singh has denied any knowledge of the irregularities, claiming innocence in the matter.
Varun Chaudhary (IAS, 2017 batch): Varun Chaudhary was Municipal Commissioner, Haridwar, at the time of the land transaction. He is presently posted as Additional Secretary (Health), Uttarakhand. Prior to his role in the Municipal Corporation, he had served as City Magistrate in Haridwar and as SDM in Rishikesh. The questionable land deal reportedly took place under his administrative watch. Chaudhary, a resident of Delhi, has claimed that he is unaware of his suspension and would present his side before the competent authorities.
Ajayveer (PCS, 2017 batch): PCS officer Ajayveer was serving as SDM, Haridwar, during the time of the land deal. He earlier served as SDM in Srinagar and Kirtinagar and is currently posted in Bhagwanpur, Haridwar. His role is also under investigation due to his administrative presence during the transaction period.
The case centres around the purchase of 2.3070 hectares of land in Gram Sarai by the Haridwar Municipal Corporation in 2024, allegedly at a highly inflated price of Rs 54 crores. The land, situated near a garbage dumping ground, was reportedly valued at mere Rs 13 to 18 crores as its registered land use was agriculture before the purchase. This contentious purchase occurred during the municipal elections when the Model Code of Conduct was in effect, placing the entire system of the Haridwar Municipal Corporation under the direct control of the then Municipal Commissioner, Arun Chaudhary.
Sources indicate that the market value of this land is estimated to be around Rs 13 to 18 crores, yet it was acquired by Haridwar Municipal Corporation officials for Rs 54 crore. A crucial point of concern is that the purpose for which this land was bought remains unclear. Furthermore, the agricultural land was registered under Section 143, which allows for the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural use.
The matter had come to light when Kiran Jaiswal, the BJP candidate, won the Haridwar mayoral election. Soon after she assumed office, the land scam came to her attention, bringing the matter into the public domain. The opposition quickly seized upon the issue, leading to it eventually reaching Chief Minister Dhami. Taking the matter seriously, CM Dhami ordered an investigation by Urban Development Secretary Ranvir Singh Chauhan. Based on Secretary Ranvir Singh Chauhan’s investigation report, the government today took action against seven individuals, including two IAS and one PCS officer.
The paper trail for the land purchase had begun on 19 September 2024, and concluded on 26 October 2024. Subsequently, in November, 33-34 bighas of land were purchased from different individuals on three separate dates. The Municipal Corporation acquired this land for a total amount of Rs 53.70 crore. During the purchase process itself, the classification of the land was controversially altered. This change in classification dramatically inflated the land’s value from an estimated Rs 13 crore to Rs 53.70 crore. Interestingly, the whole process for changing the land’s classification under Section 143 commenced on 3 October and was already completed by 6 October, coinciding with the land purchase process. The then SDM, Ajayveer Singh, reportedly expedited the entire process, completing it in just six days from the date of application to the final endorsement. Instead of updating the existing register for revenue cases (mishlaband) at the SDM court on 1 October 1, a new mishlaband was allegedly created.
