The Department of Higher Education (DHE) in Haryana has blacklisted eight publishers for their alleged involvement in irregularities during the procurement of books for government college libraries. The action comes after an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) revealed lapses in the procurement process and collusion between certain publishers and departmental officials, causing financial losses to the state exchequer.
Blacklisted Publishers
Director General of Higher Education, S Narayanan, has imposed a blanket ban on purchasing books from these publishers. The blacklisted entities include Delhi-based Ekant Publications, International Publication Corporation, Vidyanidhi, and Green Books; Patna-based Onkar Books; Allahabad-based Basant Publications; and Noida-based Jeevant Prakashan.
CAG Findings
The CAG report, presented during the 2023 Budget session, highlighted that DHE officials violated prescribed norms while purchasing books for libraries in 149 government colleges. The report held the concerned officials responsible for bypassing established procedures.
An anonymous official alleged that some departmental officials had a financial interest in the purchases and compromised on discounts typically offered by publishers on bulk orders.
Procurement Process
In 2019, the DHE formed a five-member State-Level Purchase Committee, headed by the Principal of Government College, Panchkula, to centrally procure books for college libraries. In August 2019, the committee selected 252 titles from seven publishers, who allegedly quoted prices significantly higher than the original printed prices.
