Lucknow: In a major embarrassment to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Dalit BJP MLA Devendra Kumar Nim has alleged that a government official are asking for bribes to carry out development work in the state.
The allegation has come at a time when Adityanath is busy wooing Dalit community by holding panchayats and night stay at the houses of the Dalit community.
Nim, an MLA from Rampur Maniharan, alleged that the government official named Alok Gaur asked for bribe for carrying out development work.
He further alleged that when he confronted the accused, who is an assistant engineer in the Saharanpur zila panchayat, over the bribe demand, Gaur said that he couldn’t do anything but to ask for bribe as the ‘cut’ went right up till the top.
The accused engineer has been posted with there for last six year.
In his complaint letter addressed to state panchayati raj minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary (a copy of which is in possession of news18), Nim quoted Gaur saying, “Yadi paise nahi dene hai toh jahan chahe wahan shikayat kar lo. Mujhe uppar tak paise dene hai … main kahan se launga … (If you don’t want to give the bribe then you can make a complaint wherever you want. The ‘cut’ goes right till the top. Where will I get that money?)?”
(A copy of the complaint letter)
Gaur, on the other side, alleged that there might be some contractor behind this entire episode. “What can I say? May be some contractor got the lawmaker to make a complaint. I have already met him (MLA) since,” he said.
Sources from Saharanpur said that due to alleged corruption, crores of public money meant for development went unused and during last financial year, work orders for 341 tenders of various government departments could not be awarded even after the tenders were floated.
“Corruption-free governance has been the main promise of the BJP government. But when officials right under the government’s nose are demanding bribe and saying that the ‘cut’ has to be distributed to the top, it’s time action is initiated against such officials for they are harming the image of the government,” the MLA said.
Chaudhary has said he will look into the matter and after proper investigation, if the charges are found true then strict action will be taken against the accused.
Following the allegation, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya issued a warning. “The party workers and supporters have worked day and night to form this government not to enjoy the perks but to work honestly for the people. Few officials are misusing their power and post to harass those workers, which is very unfortunate. It will be better if such officials correct themselves,” he said.
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