Punjab govt suspends Moga ADC and Municipal Commissioner Charumita over land compensation irregularities
The case pertains to alleged discrepancies in the compensation disbursed for land acquired along the Dharamkot–Bahadurwala stretch of a national highway
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab Government has suspended Moga Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) and Municipal Commissioner Charumita, a 2014-batch Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer, over alleged irregularities in land acquisition compensation in crores. The suspension orders have been issued by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, citing provisions under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970.
According to the official order, Charumita’s headquarters during the suspension period will remain in Chandigarh and she is prohibited from leaving the station without prior approval from the competent authority.
The case pertains to alleged discrepancies in the compensation disbursed for land acquired along the Dharamkot–Bahadurwala stretch of a national highway. Vigilance Bureau investigations reportedly found financial irregularities in the transactions linked to the land acquisition process.
Sources said the issue surfaced after a farmer approached the court, claiming he had not received compensation for his land. During the proceedings, the alleged irregularities came to light, following which the Vigilance Bureau prepared a chargesheet against Charumita.
The matter dates back to the period when Charumita served as the SDM in Moga. She allegedly sanctioned compensation in 2019 for land that had already been acquired by the Public Works Department (PWD) in 1963 for road construction under the B&R Division of Ferozepur.
Investigations further revealed that the same parcel of land, already in government use for over five decades, was again acquired, and compensation was released after converting it under CLU (Change of Land Use) norms. The land was also earlier transferred to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The discrepancies came to light after some awardees approached the court seeking higher compensation. During the probe, it was found that key records from the 1963 acquisition were missing, leading the High Court to appoint the Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepur as the inquiry officer.
In his report to the High Court, the DC highlighted multiple procedural violations. Between 2021 and 2025, several contradictory demarcation reports were also prepared. Former Principal Secretary (PWD) Ravi Bhagat, in his observations, stated that the land in question was government property since 1963 but was manipulated in later years. Consequently, the department referred the matter to the Vigilance Bureau for further investigation.
As of now, Charumita has not issued an official statement following her suspension, though she had earlier denied any wrongdoing, asserting that she had no role in the alleged irregularities.