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Points the finger at MGNREGA graft; threatens CBI probe
Making it clear that there would be no let-up in its offensive against the Mayawati dispensation in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Congress-led UPA Government on Tuesday opened another front against her, this time over alleged “corruption in MGNREGA” in the State. The Centre also threatened to order a CBI probe into the matter if she failed to take action.
The latest salvo has been fired by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Mayawati. He not only cautioned her that the Centre had the option of either wholly or partially stopping the Rs 5000-crore MGNREGA funds that UP got but also threw a challenge to her to agree to a CBI probe “if (her) Government had nothing to hide and has a clear conscience”.
Ramesh cited seven districts — Balrampur, Gonda, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Sant Kabir Nagar and Mirzapur —where Central funds have allegedly been misused even as he pointed to the ongoing CBI probe into the National Rural Health Mission.
Ramesh’s letter is a clear indication of the escalating tension between the two sides and it comes just five days after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi charged the Mayawati Government of mega scale corruption in Centrally-sponsored schemes especially MGNREGA and Mid-Day Meal.
Though the BSP supremo is yet to react to the latest attack from the Congress, the Opposition BJP has criticised Ramesh for failing to take cognisance of similar misuse of funds in many Congress-ruled States. The BJP said it has always pointed to corruption in the rural employment scheme, but the Government tried to look the other way. Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said, “I would have been more than happy, if Ramesh had written a similar letter to a Congress Chief Minister. Does he have the guts?”
The Congress backed Ramesh with its spokesman Rashid Alvi lauding his move. It reflects the Congress’ strategy of going all out against the Mayawati Government in a bid to revive its sagging political fortunes in the State where Assembly polls are due next year and the stakes are high.
Taking a lead in this regard, Rahul has been attacking the Mayawati Government for police atrocities on agitating farmers of Bhatta Parsaul, faulty land acquisition policy, deplorable condition of health services and diversion of funds from National Rural Health Mission among others. He had recently sent Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress general secretary incharge of UP Digvijay Singh to Gorakhpur to review the death of children due to Japanese Encephalitis.
In fact, the Ministry of Highways has decided to execute the highway construction projects from Congress president Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareily to Banda and to Tanda without the State support. The Mayawati Government is yet to sign the State support agreement in this regard.
The party had also attacked Mayawati's Rs 685-crore dalit memorial park in Noida accusing her of trying to satisfy her personal ego instead of focusing on developmental work.
Not the one to take things lying down, Mayawati had retaliated and lashed out at the Congress for constructing Nehru-Gandhi memorials on Yamuna bank while ignoring dalit icons like BR Ambedkar. Earlier, she had forcibly removing Rahul from Bhatta Parsaul and did not grant him permission to hold farmers' rally there.
She had even countered the Congress charge of forcible land acquisition in Greater Noida on the ground that the Centre had itself failed to bring out an effective legislation in this regard. To blunt her attack, the Government is trying hard to bring the Land Acquisition Bill in the winter session of Parliament so that it can be passed before UP goes to polls, wherein the Congress can reap the political benefits.
In fact, Ramesh had even met senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitely and Sushma Swaraj to impress upon their colleague Sumitra Mahajan, who heads Parliamentary panel on Rural Development Ministry to expedite the report on the Land Acquisition Bill.
Making it clear that there would be no let-up in its offensive against the Mayawati dispensation in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Congress-led UPA Government on Tuesday opened another front against her, this time over alleged “corruption in MGNREGA” in the State. The Centre also threatened to order a CBI probe into the matter if she failed to take action.
The latest salvo has been fired by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Mayawati. He not only cautioned her that the Centre had the option of either wholly or partially stopping the Rs 5000-crore MGNREGA funds that UP got but also threw a challenge to her to agree to a CBI probe “if (her) Government had nothing to hide and has a clear conscience”.
Ramesh cited seven districts — Balrampur, Gonda, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Sant Kabir Nagar and Mirzapur —where Central funds have allegedly been misused even as he pointed to the ongoing CBI probe into the National Rural Health Mission.
Ramesh’s letter is a clear indication of the escalating tension between the two sides and it comes just five days after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi charged the Mayawati Government of mega scale corruption in Centrally-sponsored schemes especially MGNREGA and Mid-Day Meal.
Though the BSP supremo is yet to react to the latest attack from the Congress, the Opposition BJP has criticised Ramesh for failing to take cognisance of similar misuse of funds in many Congress-ruled States. The BJP said it has always pointed to corruption in the rural employment scheme, but the Government tried to look the other way. Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said, “I would have been more than happy, if Ramesh had written a similar letter to a Congress Chief Minister. Does he have the guts?”
The Congress backed Ramesh with its spokesman Rashid Alvi lauding his move. It reflects the Congress’ strategy of going all out against the Mayawati Government in a bid to revive its sagging political fortunes in the State where Assembly polls are due next year and the stakes are high.
Taking a lead in this regard, Rahul has been attacking the Mayawati Government for police atrocities on agitating farmers of Bhatta Parsaul, faulty land acquisition policy, deplorable condition of health services and diversion of funds from National Rural Health Mission among others. He had recently sent Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress general secretary incharge of UP Digvijay Singh to Gorakhpur to review the death of children due to Japanese Encephalitis.
In fact, the Ministry of Highways has decided to execute the highway construction projects from Congress president Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareily to Banda and to Tanda without the State support. The Mayawati Government is yet to sign the State support agreement in this regard.
The party had also attacked Mayawati's Rs 685-crore dalit memorial park in Noida accusing her of trying to satisfy her personal ego instead of focusing on developmental work.
Not the one to take things lying down, Mayawati had retaliated and lashed out at the Congress for constructing Nehru-Gandhi memorials on Yamuna bank while ignoring dalit icons like BR Ambedkar. Earlier, she had forcibly removing Rahul from Bhatta Parsaul and did not grant him permission to hold farmers' rally there.
She had even countered the Congress charge of forcible land acquisition in Greater Noida on the ground that the Centre had itself failed to bring out an effective legislation in this regard. To blunt her attack, the Government is trying hard to bring the Land Acquisition Bill in the winter session of Parliament so that it can be passed before UP goes to polls, wherein the Congress can reap the political benefits.
In fact, Ramesh had even met senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitely and Sushma Swaraj to impress upon their colleague Sumitra Mahajan, who heads Parliamentary panel on Rural Development Ministry to expedite the report on the Land Acquisition Bill.
