Graft charges shake MCM setup, Haryana CM orders probe

A major controversy has erupted in Manesar, Haryana, after serious allegations of corruption and harassment were made against top officials of the Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM). The case has now caught the attention of the Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who has ordered a detailed inquiry into the matter. The action came soon after a contractor, Shishpal Singh Rana, filed an official complaint against senior MCM officers, accusing them of corruption and financial misconduct.

Serious claims lead to transfers

Shishpal Singh Rana runs Akanksha Enterprises, a company that received a ₹105 crore contract in February 2023 for cleaning roads, drains, and bushes in Manesar. Rana has accused the MCM of delaying payments, demanding bribes, and punishing him with unfair penalties when he refused to pay those bribes. His complaint specifically named the then MCM commissioner Renu Sogan, claiming she was involved in extortion.

In response to the complaint, the Haryana government acted quickly. Late Monday night, Renu Sogan was transferred and given a new posting as additional secretary in the state's grievances department. Two more officials were also transferred: Hitesh Kumar Meena, who was earlier the additional deputy commissioner of Gurugram, was appointed additional CEO of the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran; and Virender Chaudhary, earlier managing director of Cooperative Sugar Mills in Shahbad, was made joint secretary in the fisheries department.

According to government officials, these changes are part of a larger reshuffle, which is seen as an immediate step following the complaint. The quick action suggests the state government is taking the matter seriously.

In his complaint, Rana explained that after he got the ₹105 crore contract, his company Akanksha Enterprises was regularly paid ₹4.3 crore each month. However, the MCM started creating problems when he refused to pay bribes. Rana said he was threatened with heavy fines and payment delays unless he gave in to illegal demands.

After he resisted, the MCM imposed a massive ₹4.5 crore penalty on the company. According to Rana, this was simply a way to harass him for speaking up. He called the fine a “cover-up” designed to protect corrupt officials.

Just a day after Rana’s complaint reached the Chief Minister's Office, MCM released a press note defending the penalty. Officials said that Akanksha Enterprises was not deploying enough workers. The contract required nearly 2,000 workers, but only about a quarter of that number were reportedly found during inspections. The officials also claimed that the company submitted fake records about using cleaning machines and that the quality of work had dropped, especially in new areas that were recently added to Manesar's boundaries.

MCM officials insisted their data was reliable. They said all information was tracked using the SWM (solid waste management) online portal and that this digital monitoring system could not be easily tampered with. Commissioner Renu Sogan supported this, saying that their actions were fully documented and reviewed at many levels.

She further added that the ₹4.5 crore fine was not arbitrary but was imposed under Clause 17 of the contract agreement. This clause allows penalties when contractors fail to meet the contract requirements.

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Contractor defends himself with documents

Rana, however, strongly denied the allegations. He said that the MCM was only using select pieces of data to attack his company and that many of the inspection photos were outdated. He claimed that even MCM field reports had acknowledged fluctuations in worker attendance, yet the agency only highlighted the data that worked against him.

To support his claims, Rana said he has solid evidence, including official documents like ESIC challans, salary registers, and emails with MCM staff. He believes this paperwork will prove that his company followed the rules and that the penalty was nothing more than revenge.

Until the formal investigation is completed, the MCM has frozen all future payments to Akanksha Enterprises. However, officials clarified that bills approved before the complaint was submitted have already been paid.

While the battle between the contractor and MCM officials continues, sanitation workers are facing the worst impact. Many of the staff hired under the Akanksha Enterprises contract have not been paid their salaries for several weeks. On Monday, a large group of sanitation workers gathered outside the MCM office in Sector 8, Manesar, to protest the non-payment of wages.

The workers held signs and shouted slogans, demanding immediate payment. They said they have been working long hours but are struggling to meet daily needs because of the delay in salaries. For many, these jobs are the only source of income for their families.

The protest has added more pressure on the administration to resolve the dispute quickly. Workers are urging the government to clear their dues and investigate the matter without delay.

This entire controversy has raised important questions about how municipal contracts are managed and monitored. It also highlights how corruption allegations can deeply affect ground-level workers who have nothing to do with the larger conflict.

The Haryana government’s quick response by transferring top officials shows it is treating the matter seriously. However, more needs to be done to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and that workers do not suffer due to administrative delays.

The formal inquiry ordered by the chief minister is now awaited. It will be crucial in determining who is telling the truth — the contractor who claims he was punished for refusing bribes or the civic officials who say the company failed to meet its contractual duties.

Until then, both the contractor and the civic officials are presenting their side of the story — each supported by documents, reports, and claims. What remains constant, though, is the plight of the sanitation workers who are still waiting for their rightful wages while a political and legal battle plays out above them.

As this inquiry moves forward, all eyes will be on the final findings and whether justice is delivered fairly and swiftly.