Moga, Nov 7: Charumita, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Moga, has been suspended by the Punjab Government following allegations of irregularities in a Rs 3.7-crore compensation award linked to the National Highway-703 expansion project.
The Department of Personnel (PCS Branch), acting on the Governor’s direction, issued an order placing the 2014-batch officer under suspension under Rule 4(1)(a) of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. During the suspension, Charumita will remain headquartered in Chandigarh and continue to receive subsistence allowance as per service rules.
The suspension comes after the PWD formally chargesheeted her in September and requested a Vigilance Bureau investigation into alleged lapses in compensation for land along the Dharmkot–Shahkot highway stretch.
Originally acquired in 1963 by PWD Ferozepur for road construction, the land remained in continuous public use for decades. A Change of Land Use granted in 2022 re-designated it for commercial purposes. In 2014, as part of a highway widening project under the National Highways Act, 1956, the land was “re-acquired,” and a compensation award of Rs 3.7 crore was issued in 2019. The award treated the land as newly acquired, allegedly without consulting original acquisition records.
The issue surfaced when the awardee approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for higher compensation. An inquiry led by the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner revealed “serious procedural lapses” in land demarcation, evaluation, and record maintenance by Moga revenue officials.
Ravi Bhagat, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, PWD, observed on September 17 that “multiple contradictory demarcation reports” had been issued between 2021 and 2025. He noted a partition mutation recorded in July 2021, despite the land being under government use since 1963, and highlighted an inflated consent award of Rs 3.62 crore for just three kanals, exceeding prevailing market value.
Following the findings, the Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Anurag Verma, chargesheeted Dharamkot tehsildar Maninder Singh and naib tehsildar Gurdeep Singh for record verification and demarcation lapses. A fresh demarcation of the land has been ordered under the supervision of Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma and District Revenue Officer, Ludhiana, with representatives from the Vigilance Bureau, PWD, and NHAI present.
The Vigilance Bureau is investigating all officers involved in CLU approvals and the compensation process to determine any deliberate misconduct. Charumita, who was serving as Moga SDM at the time, denied approving the CLU or the award. “This issue relates to before my joining the government job,” she said. “The SDM has no role in granting or approving CLUs — that authority rests with GLADA.”
Despite her claims, officials noted her role was scrutinized for failing to ensure due diligence during the compensation process. With her suspension and the chargesheets against two tehsildars, the probe appears to be widening. Senior officials said further disciplinary action may be taken against additional Moga district administration and PWD officers as the Vigilance Bureau continues its investigation.
