New Delhi (Agency): Randeep Singh Surjewala, a prominent Congress leader, announced on Friday that alleged errors in the data collection for property identity cards, a flagship scheme of the Haryana government, are impacting over one crore (10 million) residents across 88 cities in the state. He asserted that these errors have compelled many to resort to bribes and middlemen to correct their property IDs.
At a press conference with senior Congress leaders Kumari Selja and Kiran Choudhary, Surjewala claimed, “Property ID is not only a scam, but it has paralyzed the lives of more than one crore Haryanvis living in 88 cities.”
The leaders highlighted that a Rajasthan-based firm, responsible for conducting the property ID survey, had allegedly committed numerous mistakes. This has now forced people to bribe officials to fix these errors. Selja demanded an investigation monitored by a high court judge into the entire operation, calling the survey a “fake” that should be “immediately scrapped.”
Affected residents, who live across 11 municipal corporations, 23 municipal councils, and 54 municipal committees, have been striving for months to rectify the data on their property IDs, said Surjewala. Discrepancies span from changes in names, addresses, and mobile phone numbers to errors related to property size, dues, and category.
In 2019, the BJP-led Haryana government granted the tender for the survey to the Rajasthan-based company, with conditions for heavy penalties and potential tender cancellation if flaws were detected. Despite the Chief Minister’s acknowledgement of eight lakh discrepancies out of the total surveyed properties, no action has been taken against the company, Selja pointed out.
Further detailing the issues, Surjewala noted examples such as sanctioned colonies shown as unsanctioned and vice versa, properties listed under incorrect names, and property sizes and types being inaccurately represented. These discrepancies are blocking residents from acquiring no-objection certificates for their properties, as well as preventing them from property registration, leasing, and applying for bank loans.
“Despite ten extensions since the agreement between the government and the company was signed in August 2019, the survey work remains incomplete,” added Surjewala. Out of the 42.7 lakh properties surveyed in 88 cities, the Congress leader claimed that 85% have discrepancies.
Kiran Choudhary, while admitting that a monitoring committee for the project was established, said there had been no actual monitoring. She also claimed that despite admitting to these errors in the Assembly, the Chief Minister hasn’t taken any substantial action to address them.
The Congress leaders concluded their press conference by demanding the cancellation of the company’s tender, a refund of the Rs 60 crore payment, the imposition of penalties, and blacklisting the firm. Surjewala, in response to a reporter’s query, added, “We have raised the issue of an inquiry monitored by a high court judge because the BJP-JJP government has lost the mandate and support of people.”
The Haryana government initially introduced property IDs to ensure transparency in property transactions.