The Chandigarh Administration has finally submitted its reply to the audit report of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Maintaining its earlier stand and defending its policies and projects, the Administration has attacked the MHA audit team, accusing them of not having adequate expertise and experience on such subjects. The team had recently visited Chandigarh to audit the functioning of the Administration after complaints of irregularities in the allotment of projects in the UT had reached the MHA. The team, in its report, had lambasted the UT Administration, highlighting certain startling irregularities in its functioning.

The UT officials said the comprehensive reply, running into around 700 pages, consists of nearly 14 prologues, explanations and numerous annexures.

The Administration in its reply said all the projects were conceptualised and allotted according to the rules and the administration never ‘exceeded its power’ and there was no irregularity committed at any stage. The Administration has accused the auditors of giving a one-sided, inconsistent and arbitrary report.

On the question of awarding compensation to land owners in Manimajra, the Administration maintained that the compensation was announced according to the rules and the Manimajra farmers were crying foul for their vested interests.

The Administration’s reply mentions that the report appeared to be ‘inspired’ by the letter written in 2008 by local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal. Rodrigues, last month had accused Bansal and another Union Minister Ambika Soni for launching a malicious propaganda against him and his projects. Bansal even called Mehra a ‘mole in the administration’.

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