4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Oct 28, 2025 10:45 PM IST
The report by the Principal Director of Audit found that not just the expenditure on the maintenance and repairs but on the fuel of the vehicles kept at disposal for Raj Bhawan was also borne by the UT guesthouse
Two vehicles that were allotted to UT guest house were placed at the disposal of Punjab Raj Bhawan and lakhs of rupees continued to be spent on them by the UT guest house only, an audit inspection report has found.
The report by the Principal Director of Audit found that not just the expenditure on the maintenance and repairs but on the fuel of the vehicles kept at disposal for Raj Bhawan was also borne by the UT guesthouse.
Citing irregular payment on the repair/maintenance and fuel of vehicles amounting to Rs 27.10 lakh, the audit department pointed out that on November 14, 2011, the home department had allotted two vehicles received from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh, to the Director Hospitality, State Guest House, Chandigarh, for the protocol pool.
However, during test check of records of the office of Director Hospitality, State Guest House, Chandigarh Administration, for the period 2024-25, it was observed that these two vehicles were placed at the disposal of Punjab Raj Bhawan with effect from July 22, 2013.
Not just this, further scrutiny of records revealed that all expenditure relating to these vehicles on account of fuel, repairs and maintenance was incurred by the UT State Guest House, which was to be borne by the Punjab government as these vehicles were being used by the Punjab Raj Bhawan. “As such, the expenditure incurred by the UT Guest House was irregular and needs to be recovered from the Punjab government,” the report specified.
The vehicles bearing registration number CH01G1-3226 and CH01G1-3212 have been condemned and auctioned, and two new vehicles bearing registration number CH01-GB-0001 and CH01-GB-0002 have been provided on January 31, 20217, instead of the auctioned vehicles.
“Thus, total expenditure amounting to Rs 27.10 lakh has been incurred by the UT Guest House on the above vehicles up to 2024-25. As such, the expenditure incurred by the UT Guest House is irregular and needs to be recovered from the Punjab government. Further the same objection was pointed out in the previous one for the period up to 2023-24 was Rs 36.99 lakh,” it was specified.
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On being pointed out, the Hospitality Department authorities have not furnished a reply.
Irregular payment amounting to Rs 87.08 lakh
As per Rule 66(1) of Government Accounting Rules, 1990, it provides that pay and allowances of a government servant should be classified in accounts as part of scheme, activity or organisation (sub-head) under a programme (minor head) below a function (major head) to which the services of the government servant closely relate. Where, however, the duties of a government servant extend to several activities, programmes, functions ete. and it is not possible to classify his pay and allowances under the appropriate sub-heads, the charges may be classified as part of the scheme or activity or organisation to which the major portion of the work of the government servant relates, the rule says.
During the test check of the records of the office of the Director Hospitality, UT State Guest House, under Chandigarh Administration, for the period 2024-25, it was noticed that two drivers, namely Jatinder Sharma and Santokh Singh, employees of Hospitality Department, UT Chandigarh, were deputed to Punjab Raj Bhawan with effect from July 22, 2013 vide Home Secretary, UT Chandigarh, orders dated August 21, 2013, and both drivers were drawing pay and allowances from the budget of UT Guest House against the rule ibid. and during the period 2016-17 to 2024-25, an amount of Rs 87.08 lakh has been paid to these two drivers from the budget of UT Guest House.
As per the report, the expenditure amounting to Rs 73.93 lakh has been updated from the Audit Inspection Report for the period 2016-17 to 2023-24 and thereafter Rs 13.15 lakh for the period 2024-25 has been incurred by the UT Guest House on the pay and allowances on above two drivers from the Budget of UT Guest House which is irregular and needs to be recovered from the Punjab government.
Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory.
Professional Background
Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance.
Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows.
Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends:
1. Investigative & Financial Reporting
"Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff.
"Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control.
"Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT.
2. Governance & Constitutional Status
"What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance.
"MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure.
"No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term.
3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment
"Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts.
"UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network.
"Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump.
4. Lifestyle & Local Trends
"Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year.
"After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges.
Signature Beat
Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse.
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