By IANS,
New Delhi: Joining issue with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati over irregularities in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the state, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has shot off another letter urging her to accept his suggestion for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
In his 14-page letter, Ramesh said that despite probes pointing to large-scale misuse of funds, the state government had neither taken action against erring officials nor taken effective steps to recover the misued money.
He said the state government “should send an an unmistakable signal that those at the top of the government are determined to take action against those guilty of corruption”.
The letter was written Nov 14, the day Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi launched party’s poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh and targeted Mayawati for corruption in the state.
Citing his earlier letter of Oct 24 and Mayawati’s response to it, Ramesh said his ministry has been repeatedly urging the state government for action in connection with the irregularities.
“It is a matter of regret that despite irregularities in 2007-08 and probe reports being available for over three years, no person has been punished,” Ramesh said in the letter.
The minister cited instances of alleged irregularities and corruption in the implementation of MGNREGS in Balrampur, Gonda, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Kushinagar, Mirzapur and Sant Kabir Nagar districts.
Ramesh said he had been informed that the state government has sent some cases of irregularities for probe by the Economic Offences Wing.
“If the state government wants to act honestly against the corrupt in the districts mentioned in the letter and send a message to the people that it does not in anyway want to save those who have looted funds, then I feel state government should accept my request for a CBI probe,” Ramesh said.
The minister said Mayawati had told a press conference 19 months back that action will be taken against those involved in corruption in the state.
“This is ironical that despite press release mentioning suspension of chief development officer of Gonda district for irregularities, his suspension has not been confirmed,” Ramesh said.
In response to Ramesh’s first letter, Mayawati had last month written to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accusing the minister of a “preconceived agenda.”
She had said that Ramesh had a political agenda as his letter was leaked to media before it reached her.