PALAMPUR: The special audit team constituted by the Himachal Raod Transport Corporation had detected a scam in Palampur depot of HRTC pertaining to buses given on hire to congress party for Sonia Gandhi’s rally held in Dharmshala in October, 30, 2006.
According to information gathered by this correspondent from HRTC sources it was learnt that in October 2006, when Sonia Gandhi visited Dharmshala, congress party hired 38 buses from the HRTC depot of Palampur for the rally of Mrs. Gandhi, but no payment was deposited in the HRTC account by the congress party, whereas under rules the HRTC had to receive the hire charges in advance. Audit party in its report had pointed out that over 90,000/- was to be deposited in the HRTC account, neither congress party paid this amount nor any officer of the HRTC dared to ask the party to make the payments till date.
Enquiry made by the correspondent further revealed that the buses were given on hire to congress party on the directions of higher authorities from Shimla. It is also learnt that the Regional Manager was asked to provide the buses immediately and payments would be made in due course. Later on no office bearer of the congress party came forward to make the payments. In December 2007, when congress party was voted out of power in state then the scam came in the notice, the MD, HRTC, who ordered special audit of HRTC depot Palampur and detected the scam.
The audit team had also detected another scam in the same depot of HRTC, it is learnt that HRTC provided three special buses to a private party from Palampur to Delhi on 27 July 2006. In fact these buses were provided as special buses, but in HRTC record per passenger tickets were issued instead of making full payments on both way causing a net loss to HRTC at rupees 90,000/-. No body in HRTC was ready to tell why per passenger tickets were issued and charges as special buses rates were not taken from the party.
The audit team had submitted its  report to Managing Director of HRTC at Shimla and Divisional Manager HRTC Dharmshala. Officials of the HRTC at Dharmshala were tight lipped and no one was ready to disclose any fact to the media. However, a senior officer of HRTC at Shimla admitted that irregularities had been pointed out by the audit team and net loss of two lakh was caused to HRTC because of irregularities.
The HRTC in Kangra is already in controversy as its officers in the district had been facing legal action on account various scams detected in HRTC depots last year. A regional manager and divisional manager had already been placed under suspension by the government.
A senior journalist from Palampur.
Hon’ble transport minister (H.P.)
sir i want to ask u that when u were the t.m last time u appointed the commission agents in various depot in h.p. after ur govt. mr.bali had regularised his favourite ones. rest agents were not able to pay money for that. i therefor ask u are u going to regular the rest agents or not if not why? im press reporter in the famous channel of india and abroad.
for any detail please contact.
balwant dhiman
mobile no 098728 88702
well this is shame for the administration under which the department is working ..
this is like conserving the public money by these officials but here the case is totally to exploit the public that eventually belongs to the public .the public should come up to force he govt to enquire for this scam ..the public money is meant for public welfare and and modernisation and for the public comfort .but people like them who always has eye on these deposited should be punished,so hence therefore the govt should also take action