IAS officer, contractor feud over sanitation contract in Manesar Municipal Corporation

Municipal Corporation Manesar (MCM), one of the youngest corporations, has recently been in the spotlight due to a controversy involving a local sanitation contractor and an IAS officer. The issue has escalated into a major political debate.

What made MCM hit headlines?

The controversy began when Shishpal Rana, the sanitation contractor, accused former Commissioner Renu Sogan of corruption and approached Chief Minister Nayab Saini. Within a day of the complaint, Sogan and her husband, IAS Hitesh Meena, who was then posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in Gurugram, were transferred. This move sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing the state government of favouring the contractor due to his alleged connections with BJP leaders.

What triggered the complaint?

The dispute started when Renu Sogan imposed a penalty of over Rs 4 crore on the contractor for failing to provide the agreed-upon number of sanitation workers. According to Sogan, the contractor was supposed to deploy 1,997 workers but had only provided an average of 500 workers. She also claimed that the contractor had been blacklisted in Jharkhand and Gurugram. In response, the contractor alleged that payments amounting to over Rs 8.5 crore were withheld due to “corrupt motives” and claimed he was forced to pay bribes at every stage.

What is the current situation?

Following the controversy, Sogan and Hitesh Meena were transferred, leaving Manesar Municipal Corporation without a commissioner and Gurugram without an ADC. The payments made to the contractor have been labelled as a Rs 50 crore sanitation scam by Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and the Congress.

What does opposition say?

The Congress has demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter, highlighting the contractor’s alleged closeness to government officials and sharing pictures of him with BJP leaders. The party has accused BJP of sacrificing civic agencies to politically backed contractors and has demanded the immediate termination of the contractor’s contract and a ban on hiring blacklisted contractors.

Officer versus contractor debate

The transfers have sparked resentment among civil servants, who are questioning the government’s decision to act on a complaint without conducting a proper inquiry. Many officers are expressing concerns about the pressure to hire and pay politically backed contractors despite their inefficiency.

Haryana Tribune