‘Maya govt siphoned off Rs 1400 cr in building memorials’
21 May 2013 1:23 PM IST
The Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has recommended lodging of FIR against 19 people, including two former ministers of the Mayawati government and some senior officials, for siphoning off public funds to the tune of Rs 1410.50 crores in the construction of memorials, parks, statues in the memory of Dalit icons in Lucknow and Noida. The Lokayukta has suggested that FIRs should be filed against former minister and BSP general secretary Nasimuddin Siddiqui, another former minister Babu Singh Kushawaha and SA Farooqi, an official in mining department, among others.
Lokayukta Justice (Retd) N K Mehrotra on Monday submitted his recommendation along with the probe report by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the UP police to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for necessary action. Talking to media persons in the Uttar Pradesh capital, Justice Mehrotra said that that altogether 199 people were found implicated in the scam and recommended recovery of the funds from the accused.
The Lokayukta added that two former legislators Anil Kumar Maurya and Sharda Prasad along with one sitting legislator Ramesh Chandra Dubey were also found involved in the scam.
However, the Lokayukta said that he did not find any direct evidence against former chief minister Mayawati or involvement of any senior IAS officer in the scam. Out of the total sanctioned fund to the tune of Rs 4271.83 crores for the construction of memorials, parks and statues, Rs 4188.54 crore were spent and at least 34 per cent or Rs 1410.50 crore was siphoned off.
UP government had entrusted the Lokayukta to probe into the scam on 10 July, 2012. The Lokayukta has asked the government to set up an independent Special Task Force (STF) to further probe into the property and disproportionate assets (DA) of the 199 people involved in the scam, while recommending that special courts be set up for a time-bound speedy trial.
Lokayukta Justice (Retd) N K Mehrotra on Monday submitted his recommendation along with the probe report by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the UP police to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for necessary action. Talking to media persons in the Uttar Pradesh capital, Justice Mehrotra said that that altogether 199 people were found implicated in the scam and recommended recovery of the funds from the accused.
The Lokayukta added that two former legislators Anil Kumar Maurya and Sharda Prasad along with one sitting legislator Ramesh Chandra Dubey were also found involved in the scam.
However, the Lokayukta said that he did not find any direct evidence against former chief minister Mayawati or involvement of any senior IAS officer in the scam. Out of the total sanctioned fund to the tune of Rs 4271.83 crores for the construction of memorials, parks and statues, Rs 4188.54 crore were spent and at least 34 per cent or Rs 1410.50 crore was siphoned off.
UP government had entrusted the Lokayukta to probe into the scam on 10 July, 2012. The Lokayukta has asked the government to set up an independent Special Task Force (STF) to further probe into the property and disproportionate assets (DA) of the 199 people involved in the scam, while recommending that special courts be set up for a time-bound speedy trial.
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