lambasting former CM Harish Rawat, accusing him of major corruption during his term in office, the Bharatiya Janata Party State spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan said that the people of Uttarakhand are seeking answers to various questions which the Congress needs to respond to.
Addressing the media at the BJP State office, Chauhan said, “The public wants to know why the then CM Harish Rawat misused the State helicopter to reach Jolly Grant for meeting a private individual who had conducted the sting operation. The motive behind Rawat’s actions was to save the Congress-led State Government. As the CM, Rawat was caught red-handed on camera making an illegal offer. Another question which the Congress needs to answer is about the crores of rupees in revenue from mining activities. In about a fortnight under president’s rule, a sum of about Rs 100 crore has been collected as revenue, penalty money and other charges from mining activity which amounts to an average of Rs 20 crore collection per day.”
“Considering this, the Congress should inform the public about the volume of income from mining under its government. In the recent past, the then chairman of Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation, Harish Dhami, had gone to Gaula where his official vehicle was reportedly damaged by those involved in illegal mining. Dhami had lodged a police complaint in Haldwani alleging that shots had been fired during the incident with attempt being made to murder him. However, the very next day the police complaint was withdrawn and no action was taken against those guilty of damaging Government vehicle. An independent investigation in the case would have resulted in Dhami being jailed which is the reason why the police complaint was withdrawn,” said Chauhan.
Further accusing Congress of various scams during its term in office, Chauhan stated that one such case involves “illegal transfer of ownership of about 18 bigha Government land at Sahastradhara Road in Dehradun in connivance with the sub divisional magistrate who was involved in the recent molestation case at a mall in Dehradun”. He said, “All successive State Governments since the time of undivided Uttar Pradesh had been contesting in the court of law for four decades claiming Governmentt’s ownership of tea-garden land but during his term as CM, Rawat’s Government made a deal for this land valued at about Rs 3,000 crore in violation of the land Ceiling Act.” Referring to the ‘loktantra Bachao, Uttarakhand Bachao’ campaign of the Congress, Chauhan said that it was a “last ditch attempt to save a corrupt Government and should be termed ‘loottantra Bachao Yatra’.