An eminent social activist based in Uttarakhand Avdhash Kaushal who is also a Padma Shri awardee alleged on Thursday that while trashing the recent landmark ruling of the Supreme Court prohibiting the Government from allotting houses and other facilities to the former Chief Ministers of the States, the Uttarakhand Government is continuing with its largesse spree for a handful of politicians. He said that recently, the State Government has allotted the state BJP president Ajay Bhatt a palatial bungalow at house no 58 R in Yamuna Colony which is otherwise entitled by the cabinet ministers only. “Interestingly, Bhatt is not even a member of the legislative Assembly. In the same way, the state government has allotted a big bungalow at house no 2A in Yamuna Colony to the State Congress chief Pritam Singh who is also an MlA. The cabinet Ministers are alone entitled to such a bungalow. Importantly, Singh is not even the leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, the post being held by another Congress leader Indira Hirdesh who is staying in a big bungalow by virtue of the post she is now holding ,” he said, adding that such largesse is not just against the spirit of the apex court’s ruling but also against the spirit of the equally landmark ruling of the Uttarakhand High Court which had ordered the former chief ministers to vacate the houses which they kept occupying.
“This loot on the treasury amounts to nothing short of political corruption. Things are really serious as the state Government says that they are plagued with severe resource crunch, sresulting in the non-clearance of the salaries of the government employees and dithering on the long-term demands of the safai employees, Asha workers and teachers. They are taking loans from banks to pay the monthly salary of the staffers. And at the same time, they are favouring politicians with bungalows they are not entitled to at the expense of the state’s exchequer,” he said.
He said that the corruption indulged in by the state government should not be brooked upon. “We are thinking in terms of moving court, seeking redressal,” the social activist said.