Union Ministry of Social Justice has referred a case against an Uttar Pradesh-based NGO to the law Ministry for a CBI probe for allegedly fudging documents to swindle funds allocated for the welfare of differently-abled persons.
“There is an NGO in Uttar Pradesh which is associated with a politician. We have referred the case to the law department for a CBI probe against it,” Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot told reporters at a press conference here to mark 100 days of the NDA Government.
On being asked if he was referring to the NGO said to be associated with former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, the Minister preferred not to name the person against whom the Ministry has recommended the probe.“We have requested the law department to look into our recommendations at the earliest,” said Gehlot.
“Our responsibility is to monitor whether the NGOs, which are receiving funds from us, are doing their work properly,” he said.A sting operation by a television channel in 2012 had alleged financial irregularities committed by Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, which was reportedly run by the Union law Minister and his wife louise Fernandes Khurshid in Uttar Pradesh.
The trust, named after Salman Khurshid’s maternal grandfather, the late President Dr Zakir Hussain, has been accused of allegedly misappropriating Rs71.5 lakh granted to it by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide aids and appliances to handicapped people in the Minister’s native Uttar Pradesh.
The Comptroller and Auditor General had asked the Ministry to recover the grant of Rs71.5 lakh along with an interest of Rs15.49 lakh. The CAG also pulled up the Ministry for further sanctioning Rs68.25 lakh to the trust during 2010-2011 for implementation of the scheme in 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh.