Official of civic body, two local ‘politicians’ face graft charges in Gurugram

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav received a complaint from a Sector 7 resident who alleged that a senior official of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and two local politicians transferred the ownership rights of government shops to common citizens and regularised illegal buildings that were earlier sealed by the civic body.

Yadav has directed the complainant, a resident of Bank Colony in Sector 7, to record his statement before the city magistrate on Monday, following which a probe can be initiated.

“To check and ensure that the complaint is not frivolous, I have asked the city magistrate to call the complainant on Monday. If the complainant produces facts and evidence, further inquiry will be conducted,” said Yadav.

In his complaint, the resident alleged that two local politicians and a senior MCG official along with the civic body staff were charging ₹3 lakh per shop for transferring ownership rights to common citizens who are ineligible as per the scheme and getting the same approved by the corporation.

He has alleged that the politicians and MCG officials have taken bribes for changing the ownership rights of at least 36 such shops.

In July last year, the MCG issued a release stating that under the Haryana government’s Mukhyamantri Shaharee Nikaay Svaamitv Yojana (Chief Minister’s Urban Body Ownership Scheme), tenants who have continuously rented or leased shops from the MCG for the last 20 years were eligible for purchasing the building or shop at heavily discounted collector rates, which is nearly 40% lower than the market rate.

At least 1,020 shopkeepers operating in prime markets located in areas such as Sadar Bazar, Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) Road, Sikanderpur and Badshahpur were eligible to benefit from the scheme.

The complainant further said that the politicians and MCG officials have also taken bribes amounting to lakhs of rupees for removing the seals of illegal buildings in Om Nagar and Shivaji Nagar and reopening them.