No compromise on construction quality: 80 irrigation officials charge-sheeted in Haryana

Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Shruti Choudhry, asserted that there will be no compromise on the quality of construction materials used in departmental projects. The current state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, is operating with a zero-tolerance policy toward irregularities, she said.

Acting on his directives, 48 samples of construction materials from various ongoing Irrigation Department projects were collected for quality testing. Of these, 18 samples failed the tests. Consequently, 80 officials—ranging from Junior Engineers (JE) to Chief Engineers—have been charge-sheeted under Sections 7 and 8 of the Haryana Civil Services Rules, Choudhry informed during a press conference held in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

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She emphasized that the government will not tolerate corruption at any level. Some of the projects in question were close to completion, a stage at which official accountability increases significantly. After receiving repeated complaints, the department’s vigilance wing conducted raids and collected material samples, the minister said.

In response to a query, Choudhry acknowledged that a significant portion of payments had already been made to contractors. She added that the possibility of recovering these funds from the concerned contractors will be actively explored.

Addressing a question regarding the Kishau Dam Project, Choudhry stated that it is a national-level initiative of critical importance to Haryana. Chief Minister Saini had reviewed the project just two days prior. Once operational, the Kishau Dam will provide Haryana with water for both irrigation and drinking purposes. The state is set to receive 709 cusecs of water from the Yamuna River through this project, she shared.