Delayed Payments to Contractors to Include Interest; Recovery to be Made from Officials Responsible for Unnecessary Delays: Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini
Chandigarh, September 28 – Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini has stated that if there is an unnecessary delay at the level of a government department in making payments due from the state government, the concerned companies, firms, and contractors will be paid along with interest for the period of delay. The Chief Minister has directed the Finance Department to frame a suitable policy in this regard.
The Chief Minister noted that the government engages services and works from companies, firms, and contractors for various development projects and assignments. In such a scenario, ensuring the timely payment of outstanding dues under the prescribed procedure is the responsibility of the departments. If an unnecessary delay occurs in the payment process at any departmental level, its financial burden should not fall on the concerned firm or contractor.
Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini issued these directions on Monday while reviewing ‘Good Practices’ adopted by various departments at the Haryana Civil Secretariat. He stated that Haryana aims to build a system matching the standards of not just India, but other developed nations, and create world-class infrastructure so that the state becomes developed well ahead of other states.
Issuing directions, he mentioned that firms and contractors working for various departments frequently complain about delayed bill payments, which affects not only the quality of development projects but also causes delays in project completion. A scheme should be formulated that clearly defines the procedure, accountability, and provisions for interest payment in cases of delayed payments. Furthermore, it should be ensured that payment-related matters are settled in a time-bound manner at the departmental level to prevent unnecessary delays.
The Chief Minister also directed that if payments fail to take place on time due to unnecessary delays caused at the level of any officer or employee, the interest amount will be recovered from the salary of the officer or employee responsible. Directions were given to incorporate this provision into the proposed scheme as well.
‘Arjun Council’ Integrated Platform for Large Projects
Providing information about the good practices adopted by the Finance and Planning Department, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department, Mr. Arun Gupta, shared that Haryana is the only state in the entire country to constitute the SPV-ARJUN (Special Purpose Vehicle – AI for Resilient Jobs, Urban Air Quality and Next-Gen Vehicles) Council a year ago. Through this, the budget and execution of all 9 major departments are monitored and independently verified.
Through the SPV-ARJUN Council, development works worth ₹4,000 crore have been made entirely outcome-based. Funds are released only after independent verification of the specified results. The Chief Minister directed that one expert be appointed in each of the concerned departments to effectively implement the council’s work.
Vision to Establish a Clean Air Forum of Chief Ministers
During the meeting, a vision to create a ‘Clean Air Forum of Chief Ministers’ was presented to enhance interstate cooperation for clean air across the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra plain region. Under this, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar are proposed to be treated as a single shared airshed to adopt a collective strategy. It was highlighted that steps taken by a single state alone to control pollution are insufficient, as pollution crosses borders and affects neighboring regions.
Haryana Leads in E-Stamping
Treasury and Accounts Department Commissioner and Secretary, Mr. C.G. Rajinikanthan, shared that Haryana is the first state in the country to launch an in-house e-stamping mechanism. To protect citizens from fraud, verification mechanisms and safety standards have been implemented within the system. In the year 2025–26, 62,39,868 e-stamp certificates were issued, totaling approximately ₹13,64,965 lakh.
Payment Process Entirely Online in Haryana
He further informed that digital processing for all types of bills via e-vouchers was introduced in the state. The salary processing system in Haryana has been made 100% digital, eliminating physical salary bills and manual paperwork. Similarly, a centralized e-billing platform is being used across all departments of the Haryana Government for various disbursements. Salary bills are prepared, verified, and accepted online. Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)-based approvals ensure system security and authenticity, while direct payments are executed from the treasury system via e-Kuber.
Financial Losses to Government to be Recovered from Official’s Salary
Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini emphasized that strict control over the misuse of digital signatures and dongles in payment processing is essential. He stated that if a dongle is misused, the official to whom it was issued will be held responsible, and any financial loss incurred by the government will be recovered directly from their salary. Additionally, the Chief Minister directed the creation of specialized software for the transparent implementation of the Ayushman Scheme to deter hospitals attempting to claim benefits fraudulently.
Salaries to go Directly to Employees’ Accounts Instead of Contractors
Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini stated that salaries for all categories of workers, even those hired through third-party agencies, should be deposited directly into the employees’ bank accounts instead of being disbursed through contractors. This measure aims to curb irregularities committed by contractors. He added that the government’s objective is to provide relief to the underprivileged, and exploitation of vulnerable workers will be strictly checked.
Paperless Salary Process via ‘SNA Sparsh’
Mr. Rajinikanthan informed that SNA Sparsh has been implemented across all Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Haryana. Mandatory Digital Signature Certificates (DSC) have been enforced for nearly 16,000 implementing agencies, and a completely paperless salary process was introduced in May 2026. Under this setup, the entire workflow—from bill preparation and submission to salary calculation, deductions, DSC approval, electronic verification, treasury processing, and e-voucher generation—has been fully digitized.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr. Arun Gupta; Additional Chief Secretary, Mr. A.K. Singh; Mr. Vijendra Kumar; Commissioner and Secretary, Dr. Amit Kumar Agarwal; and Special Secretary for Monitoring and Coordination, Dr. Priyanka Soni, along with officials from other departments, were present at the meeting.
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