Senior BJP leader and former chairman of the Uttarakhand Seeds and Terai Development Corporation (USTDC) Hemant Dwivedi has challenged the State Government for an open discussion on the Bhati Commission report, describing this report as a political propaganda on part of the State Government to cover its failures.
“During a short tenure of about two years, I turned this loss making corporation (USTDC) into a profit-making body. The USTDC was running into financial losses worth Rs 1.67 crore when I took over but the USTDC registered actual saving of Rs 11.92 crore in the first financial year of my tenure. The fact is that even the CAG has lauded my efforts in its report,” he claimed.
“Besides, I took necessary departmental action against the corrupt officials of the USTDC who led this corporation to such financial mess,” he added.
He said that surprisingly, “this Congress Government has reinstated these corrupt officials. One of such officials RK Nigam, who was working as company secretary and GM of the USTDC, was suspended imposing a financial recovery of Rs 54 lakh on him during his tenure. But Congress Government instead of taking necessary action against him and making efforts to recover the huge Rs 54 lakh from him, only reinstated him.”
“Similarly, one another senior official of the USTDC, RK Chauhan was also suspended during my tenure. He has also been reinstated by this Government now,” Dwivedi added.
“That is why I want an open debate on this report and probe into this entire matter so that a clear picture could emerge.”
He did not restrict himself here. The senior BJP leader also levelled serious allegations against Om Prakash, secretary in the Agriculture department, alleging that this senior official who has been serving in the Agriculture department for a long time, has caused a huge loss to the USTDC in “connivance with some seed mafias and middlemen”.
In his letter dated November 11, 2011 to the then Uttarakhand Governor Margret Alva, as chairman of the USTDC, Dwivedi also wrote about this official saying Om Prakash is a native of Bihar and Bihar is the biggest buyer of USTDC seeds. “That is why this official has links with seed mafias and middlemen and with some officials of the USTDC. With the help of these middlemen, seed mafias, this senior official of the Agriculture department is indulged in promoting his own interests,” Dwivedi alleged in his letter to the then Uttarakhand Governor.
lambasting the Congress Government in the State for
protecting such corrupt officials, Dwivedi allegedly said that now this Government is banking on the Bhati Commission report prepared by an another corrupt official. This Bhati Commission report is illegal as it has been prepared without listening to the other party. That is why this Bhati report is against the
spirit of the Commission of Enquiry Act 1952.
“At least one opportunity should have been given to me to know my position on this entire matter. The matter is now in the court,” he added.