From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Assam unit of the BJP on Monday lodged an FIR against a Congress legislator Enamul Haque Laskar and former minister Nurjamal Laskar for their alleged involvement in financial irregularity involving Rs 270 crore in the state Irrigation Department. The irregularity was committed towards the end of the last tenure (2006-11) of the Congress government headed by chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
The FIR, which was signed by state BJP general secretary Prodyut Kumar Bora and legal cell convenor RP Sharma, was filed following the uneasy reaction of chief minister Gogoi before the media after the incumbent irrigation minister Ardhendu Kumar Dey spilled the beans before the Press on Friday last.
Gogoi denied receiving any filed from the Irrigation minister regarding the alleged scam and commented that the minister should have discused the matter with him before going to the Press.
The BJP in the FIR has accused former minister Sarkar of appointing Laskar as OSD after his retirement from the service in Irrigation Department, following which the latter issued 67 work orders worth Rs 270 crores by violating financial norms on the eve of the last assembly elections.
The FIR also referred to a statement made by the incumbent irrigation minister AK Dey, before the media that he had sent a file to the chief minister regarding the work orders apparently issued by Laskar as the OSD of the Irrigation department flouting financial rules.
“There is indication that former minister Nurjamal Sarkar was clearly involved in appointing Enamul Haque Laskar as OSD and had tacit concurrence and involvement in all actions of cheating, forgery, misappropriation and criminal conspiracy committed by Haque,” the FIR said.
The FIR also pointed out that the duo had violated Sections 7 and 8 of the Assam Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act of 2005, and had thus allegedly committed a fraud worth Rs 270 crore.
Enamul Haque Laskar was appointed the OSD in the state irrigation department following his retirement from the same department.
He was subsequently elected an MLA in Congress ticket from Sonai LAC in South Assam in the last Assembly election held early this year.