Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja.
Congress leader Selja seeks investigation into revenue losses flagged by audit report, recovery of public money and time-bound action against those responsible
CHANDIGARH / PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Sirsa MP, former Union Minister, Congress general secretary and CWC member Kumari Selja has said that the findings highlighted in the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on Haryana’s revenue management raise serious concerns and demand immediate administrative action. She said the state government should treat the findings as a matter of administrative accountability rather than political allegations and order an investigation into every case identified by the audit.
Selja said that wherever rules were ignored, procedures were not followed or negligence resulted in a loss to the government exchequer, responsibility must be fixed and recovery of the due revenue ensured. She stressed that public revenue belongs to the people and any failure in its collection cannot simply be dismissed as an ordinary administrative lapse.
Referring to the 2026 Compliance Audit (Revenue) Report of the CAG, Selja said the audit findings indicate significant revenue implications across several departments. According to the report, during 2023-24, sample checks of records of 143 units relating to sales tax and VAT, stamp duty and registration fees, excise and transport identified 7,144 cases involving short assessment of tax, short recovery or revenue loss amounting to ₹998.85 crore.
She said the figures highlighted in the audit report require the state government to undertake a detailed examination of the individual cases and determine how the revenue shortfalls occurred. The findings cover different areas of revenue administration and therefore, she said, cannot be viewed as isolated or routine discrepancies.
Selja pointed out that the report has identified a revenue impact of ₹415.68 crore in matters related to works contracts and construction services under VAT, sales tax and GST. She said this component alone demonstrates the need for a closer review of assessment and recovery procedures in the concerned departments.
Similarly, she said, cases relating to stamp duty and registration fees involved a revenue impact of ₹85.37 crore. She also referred to important cases concerning transport tax and the deposit of revenue into the government treasury, where an amount of ₹8.17 crore has been highlighted.
The Congress leader said the government must now clearly explain what action has been taken on these audit findings. She asked the administration to disclose how much of the amount identified by the CAG has been recovered so far, in how many cases departmental proceedings have been initiated and how many officials have been held accountable.
She stressed that the issue should not end with the presentation of an audit report. According to Selja, the real test of administrative efficiency lies in what the government does after irregularities and revenue losses are brought to its notice.
“If an ordinary citizen or a small trader is required to deposit taxes on time, the government system must also demonstrate the same level of strictness, transparency and accountability,” she said, emphasising that public money must be protected through an effective revenue collection mechanism.
Selja said that procedural errors should be corrected immediately wherever they are found. At the same time, if an investigation establishes deliberate violation of rules, collusion or corruption, strict action should be taken in accordance with law after a fair and impartial inquiry.
She said the government should also examine whether the shortcomings identified by the CAG were caused by individual negligence, systemic weaknesses or failures in departmental monitoring. Such an assessment, she maintained, is necessary to prevent similar revenue losses in the future.
The Congress leader further said that merely making claims about fighting corruption would not be enough. Transparent governance, she argued, must be measured by the speed with which deficiencies affecting the public exchequer are identified and corrected and by the action taken against those found responsible.
Selja called upon the Haryana government to make its Action Taken Report on the CAG observations public within a defined timeframe. She said this would enable people to know what steps have actually been taken to safeguard government revenue and recover money that may have been lost because of lapses in assessment or collection.
She said public accountability requires the government to provide clear answers instead of allowing audit objections to remain part of official records without effective follow-up. A transparent mechanism for tracking recovery, departmental proceedings and corrective measures would also help strengthen public confidence in the revenue administration, she added.
According to Selja, the CAG findings provide the government with an opportunity to identify weaknesses in the revenue system and introduce corrective measures. She said the objective should not merely be to assign blame but also to ensure that similar lapses do not recur and that every department dealing with public revenue follows established rules and procedures.
She reiterated that government revenue is ultimately public money and must be protected with the highest degree of responsibility. The administration, she said, has a duty to ensure that legitimate revenue reaches the state treasury and that shortcomings in the collection system are addressed promptly.
Selja demanded that each case flagged by the audit be examined on its individual merits, with responsibility fixed wherever wrongdoing or negligence is established. She also called for recovery of outstanding amounts and appropriate disciplinary or legal action where warranted.
She said the people of Haryana have the right to know whether the government has acted on the CAG findings and what concrete steps have been taken to prevent further loss of revenue. Publishing a time-bound action report, she maintained, would be an important step towards greater transparency and accountability in the state’s financial administration.
The Congress leader said that effective governance requires not only policies and announcements but also strict implementation, monitoring and accountability. The latest CAG findings, she argued, should therefore be treated as an opportunity to strengthen Haryana’s revenue administration and protect the public exchequer.
Dalit Daughter Must Get Justice, Action Against Those Challenging Law Under Political Protection: Kumari Selja
Kumari Selja has said that allegations of a Dalit daughter being targeted by the system while raising her voice for students’ rights and the rights of her community are extremely serious. She demanded impartial and effective action against the accused in the alleged attack on Nishu’s father.
Selja said the allegations that the accused publicly claimed responsibility for the attack and was allegedly connected with or protected by BJP leaders must also be thoroughly investigated. She called upon the Delhi Police to act strictly according to law and without any political pressure.
The Congress leader questioned whether the country’s legal system would operate on the principle of equality before law or whether individuals could challenge the law on the strength of alleged political protection. She said no person should be allowed to believe that political connections can place them beyond the reach of the law.
Selja said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has consistently stood with Dalits, students and young people in their fight for their rights. She added that Congress would also stand firmly with Nishu in her fight for justice and continue the struggle until justice is delivered.
She said no daughter or her family should be intimidated or suppressed for raising their voice for justice. Any attempt to silence a family seeking accountability, she maintained, would be unacceptable.
