Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that the state government would soon decide in which form an inquiry should be conducted into alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore in installation of statues in memorials.
“The government will soon decide in which form the inquiry should be conducted as the Lokayukta has also given a report against several persons, including ministers,” Akhilesh said when asked whether a CBI probe would be ordered into alleged irregularities in installation of statues. He said that an inquiry was already being conducted and it would be seen what other type of probe could be conducted.
On being asked about alleged Rs 5,000 crore scam in installation of statues and stones, Akhilesh said that media persons should not say that quantum of scam was less.
“We have said during election time that large scale scam has been committed. An account of Rs 40,000 crore would emerge and the government would take out the account,” he said. He said that when the cost is worked out, cost of land is not taken into account.
“You will not add the cost of the building which was constructed and later demolished…wastage into construction of boundary wall again and again is not taken into account,” he said.
“The palm trees which are being talked about..if you take information a number of trees are lying in Jiyamau and large number have been buried in ponds,” he alleged. “As of now a few elephants have been recovered…if further investigation is done then the number of statues will be much higher. I congratulated police that they investigated the matter,” he added.
The district police had on Monday carried out searches at the office of Rajkiya Nirman Nigam at Gomti Nagar in connection with alleged irregularities in installation of statues of elephants at parks in Lucknow and Noida.
As per the facts which have come to light this work was got done through the people, who do not have any expertise in the field, Additional Superintendent of Police Ram Bahadur had told reporters here. He said that it has come to light that excess payments were made and works were allotted at higher rates by overlooking the rules.
The ASP said that it seemed that the former officers and contractors were hand in glove in the scam, which may be to the tune of several crore rupees. “So far the value of the statue has come around Rs 58 lakh…we are collecting the documents from the RNN after which the situation will become clear,” Bahadur said. He said that while 60 statues have been installed in Lucknow, 30 were erected in Noida.
The search was carried out following arrest of a RNN contractor Aditya Agarwal, who was nabbed on Saturday night for duping an Agra-based stone supplier Madan Lal. Police had also raided the marble shop owned by Aditya at Chinhat and recovered the elephant statue supplied by Madan.
“The government was considering all options besides deciding about the agencies who could be entrusted to go for the investigation into the largescale financial irregularities into various projects,” he told. The opposition parties leaders have also demanded setting up of a commission to probe into all the scams of the BSP government. (Agencies)