Haryana CM constitutes inquiry committee to probe 'irregularities' in labour department

Chandigarh, Jan 1 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday constituted a high-level inquiry committee that will look into alleged irregularities in the verification of work slips and registration of workers in the labour department.

The panel, constituted under the chairmanship of IAS officer Pankaj Aggarwal, with IAS officer Rajiv Rattan and IPS officer Pankaj Nain as members, will thoroughly investigate the matter and submit its report to the government within a month, according to an official statement.

The development came days after Haryana Labour Minister Anil Vij alleged that serious irregularities related to work slips have been prevailing for a long time in the Haryana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.

Preliminary investigations suggested that the scam could amount to approximately Rs 1,500 crore. Vij wrote to Chief Minister Saini, recommending a thorough investigation by a reputed probe agency.

An official statement on Thursday said media reports have claimed that the labour minister had written to the chief minister, informing him about the matter. However, no such letter was received in the Chief Minister's Office, it said.

"Nevertheless, a file on the issue was presented by the department, in which the chief minister was informed that the department had constituted a committee to investigate the matter and that reports from 13 districts had been prepared, while reports from the remaining nine districts were pending.

"Therefore, the department stated that a complete report would be submitted after receiving reports from the remaining districts," it said.

The chief minister took the issue seriously and returned the file the very next day, directing the labour minister to submit a complete report from all districts along with accurate figures of financial loss, said the statement.

"However, the report is still pending. The issue pertains to construction workers and the benefits provided to them under various schemes of the labour department. It has been alleged that the works on which these individuals claimed to have laboured were not genuine, thereby casting doubt on their registration as building and construction workers," it said. PTI CHS NSD NSD