The Haryana government has barred eight publishers from supplying books to government higher education institutions after an audit found major irregularities in the procurement process for college libraries. The action was taken following concerns over transparency, verification, and compliance with official purchasing guidelines.
The issue relates to the “Strengthening of Library Services in Government Colleges” scheme, under which funds were provided to improve library resources across government colleges in Haryana. During the audit, several shortcomings were highlighted in the selection of publishers, book supply process, and payment procedures.
The audit report pointed out that books were purchased from selected publishers without following a fully transparent process. Questions were also raised regarding the verification of books delivered to colleges, pricing of publications, and the availability of required discounts.
In some cases, colleges reported discrepancies between the books ordered and the books actually received. Despite these concerns, payments had reportedly been processed, raising questions about monitoring and accountability in the procurement system.
Following the findings, the authorities decided to blacklist eight publishers and prevent them from participating in future book supply contracts for Haryana’s government colleges. The move is aimed at improving transparency and ensuring that public funds allocated for education are used properly.
The government has emphasized the need for stronger checks and better monitoring mechanisms to avoid similar issues in future library development projects.
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