Close on the heels of shunting out controversial excise commissioner, Mahesh Gupta, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav finally made a crack down on rampant corruption in the Department when he suspended 34 officials including half a dozen of district excise officers, on Saturday.
Besides he also ordered Department Proceedings against 2 assistant excise commissioners and warned that any callous approach will not be tolerated.
Giving a clear cut message that any lethargic approach or corruption will not be tolerated at any cost, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday suspended half a dozen of district excise officers which included Sultanpur, Fatehpur,
Azamgarh, Gaziabad, Jainour and Mirjapur, 7 excise inspectors, 6 head constables in the Excise Department and 16 of the constables. During random checking of some districts, chief minister found charges of `Over Rating" at Foreign Made Indian liquor and Beer shops reportedly under the patronage of supervisory rank officers of the Excise Department. He handed over a enquiry in the matter to Additional Excise Commissioner (Administration) in
this regard.
The Departmental proceeding has been ordered against Assistant Excise Commissioner of (AEC) SSF (B)lucknow and AEC (Enforcement) Agra as they both were found to be involved in irregularities during their postings as district excise officer of Mainpuri.
Meanwhile chief minister also laid stress on improving the conditions of `mandis’ and asked to make them world class by extending more facilities. Akhilesh, who is also the chairman of Mandi Parishad, directed the officials to identify the areas which needed to be improved for making "radical changes" in the 'mandis' (a whole sale marketwhere farmers sell their products which included vegetables, food grains and other eatable items). The chief minister asked for setting up modern 'apna bazars' at 31 places, where, besides the availability of agricultural inputs, arrangements for folk culture, recreation and hand loom products should also be made for the benefit of farmers and their families.
Akhilesh Yadav said that if required Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for running these 'apna bazars' should be considered. Akhilesh, who was presiding over a meeting of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Krishi Utpadan Mandi
Parishad, asked for equipping the 'mandis' with solid waste management, rain water harvesting and solar energy besides planting trees in the open land of mandis. For those growing betel leaves in Bundelkhand area of the state, he directed for providing free transport facility to help them get better remunerative price for their product. The chief minister said that it has been decided that under the Mandi Parishad run personal accident assistance scheme, an assistance of Rs 50,000 in the event of death should be enhanced to Rs 2 lakhs.
He also asked to complete the computerization work in mandis for Vrindawan in Mathura, Kemri in Rampur, Bhinga in Sharawasti, Nawabganj in Bareilly, Shahshadbagh in Agra and 25 other mandis where construction work in in full swing. He also directed to forward assistance so the farmers could export their garlic crop to other places. Besides chief minister, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Alok Ranjan and other senior officials were present in the meeting.