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Montek for probe into irregularities in Bundelkhand package
Piqued over misutilisation of funds issued to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh under the Bundelkhand Development package, Planning Commission’s Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said he would seek probe into the irregularities committed by both the Governments.
“I will write letters to the Chief Ministers of UP and MP and request them to order probe into the irregularities that I detected during my visit,” he said in Jhansi before leaving for New Delhi on Sunday.
When his attention was drawn to the demand of UP Government to release more funds, Ahluwalia said: “How can we release the second instalment when the funds given in the first installment remain unused.”
Ahluwalia had said that the Centre would not release the second instalment of the Bundelkhand development package until Uttar Pradesh utilised funds sanctioned so far.
“It is unfortunate that UP has utilised only 23 per cent of the funds allotted under the Bundelkhand Development package while the adjoining Madhya Pradesh has utilised 34 per cent,” he said and asked: “How can these two Governments use the un-utilised funds in the remaining three months of this fiscal?”
In a statement issued on Saturday night, the UP Government had claimed that 76 per cent of funds released so far had been utilised. The State Government also refuted allegation of irregularities in the Bundelkhand package funds and rejected the demand for a CBI probe.
When Ahluwalia was asked whether he would seek CBI probe into the irregularities, he clarified that he would only seek a high-level probe by the State Government. “
It is up to the State Governments to act on the mode of investigation,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Ahluwalia and his team visited three villages--Sakral, Vijaygarh and Tejpura--to review the developmental works undertaken there under the Bundelkhand Development package.
In Sakral, it was found that wrong design and location was the reason for the collapse of a check dam. The collapsed check dam was constructed by a PRO of a State Minister.
Similarly, in Vijaygarh, the team found that there were neither proper roads nor infrastructure even after spending more than Rs 90 lakh.
