₹80 lakh paid, no road built: Panipat MC under scanner

The Panipat Municipal Corporation (MC) is in the spotlight once again for alleged financial mismanagement — this time involving a payment of Rs 80 lakh to a contractor for a road that was reportedly never built.

The Director General of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Department has directed the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation to submit a fact-finding report into the alleged scam in Ward 3. The payment, sources say, was made for the construction of a concrete road, but only interlocking tiles exist at the site, and even those appear incomplete.

Anjali Sharma, the elected councillor from Ward 3, first raised the alarm on December 29, 2023, filing a formal complaint with the then Municipal Commissioner. “The road was not constructed, but the payment was made to the contractor. I had raised this issue in the House and also filed a complaint to the government. Now, I would again raise this issue in the coming House meeting," she said.

Sharma also highlighted the hardship faced by local residents due to the delay. “Construction of the road is a genuine need of the people. But due to the pending inquiry, the road was never built. People are suffering, and it should be constructed at the earliest,” she demanded.

Despite her complaint, no action was taken for months. Taking note of the inaction, social activist Dibagh Singh Krantikari filed another complaint on March 17, 2025, reiterating Sharma’s allegations and pointing to the lack of accountability. He later escalated the issue by writing to the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on April 23.

Following this, the Director ULB issued a letter to the Commissioner of Panipat MC, directing immediate action and seeking a factual report on the matter.

Confirming the development, Dr Pankaj Yadav, the current Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, said, “Yes, we have received the letter from the Director ULB. Officials have been asked to prepare a factual report. This incident took place before I assumed charge, and the facts will become clear only after proper verification.”

Haryana Tribune