Himachal Govt Seeks Records as Ex-RERA Chief Faces Heat Over 'Freebie Apples' Scam
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has summoned records from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) to investigate allegations against former RERA chairman Srikant Baldi, a retired additional chief secretary, for allegedly misusing government funds to buy and distribute apple cartons as freebies to IAS officers across India.
The controversy erupted after reports surfaced on social media, claiming that Baldi procured apple cartons from the Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing & Processing Corporation (HPMC) using state funds and gifted them to top bureaucrats, particularly in Rajasthan.
The alleged practice has been ongoing since 2020, with the total value of the apples running into lakhs of rupees.
Public outrage has mounted over the misuse of government resources, prompting Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani to demand a detailed report from RERA.
"We have sought all records regarding these transactions, and a thorough investigation will follow," Dharmani said.
The allegations, if proven true, could expose a scam of its own kind, where state funds were allegedly diverted to curry favor with bureaucrats across India.
The government is expected to take stringent action based on the findings of the inquiry.
COMMENTS: THIS man who bought apples worth ten lakhs from government treasure and distributed it to his friends, did not allow poor daywords, outsource employees and contract workers to increase when there was Secretary Finance.
He used to say that treasure is empty, when this person became the chairman of RERA, he wasted millions of rupees in the name of his office renovation.
The office in which I worked for deputy AG, became so useless overnight that crores of rupees (at least) for his renovation.
The need of 20 crore) has come. Suddenly the condition of that office was changed. Goods for free.. Heart of dishonest. How much money was spent, how much did it take, how much went in the pocket.... Ram knows. And now these Maharaj fed ten lakh apples worth of apples from government treasure to their friends sitting in Rajasthan.
First an FIR should be registered on it, then ED should investigate its property.
Where are these Maharajs collected properties. These IAS mostly who came from outside states, robbed the state (there is also a local).
Now compensation should be from the pocket of these people....VINAY SHARMA(Deputy AG) on Facebook.
