MlA and Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation chairman Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ has accused the Haridwar MP and Union Minister for Water Resources, Harish Rawat of blatantly lying and taking credit for the development works facilitated by the MlA.
Addressing the media in Dehradun, Singh also targeted the State bureaucracy for being insensitive and inefficient in executing works in the disaster- affected areas of his constituency. He said that he would raise this issue with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna.
Citing a media report which stated that Rawat had facilitated approval for and execution of work on the Balawali bridge in Khanpur constituency, Singh said that he had toiled for 11 years to get the project cleared.
“I went to the Railway Minister, various officials using my own resources and my persistent efforts resulted in the construction of the bridge being approved. But now the Union minister is taking credit for it. It remains to be seen whether the public will vote for an MP who tells blatant lies and whether the Congress will give him a ticket to contest the election from here,” said Singh.
Regarding the anomalies in execution of works in disaster affected areas in his constituency, he said, “The farms in my area are covered with up to four feet deep sand deposited by the floods. The Chief Minister announced Rs60 crore for flood protection works in my constituency but not even 60 paise has been released yet. The bureaucracy in the State is insensitive and inefficient when it comes to executing works in disaster affected areas. I will raise this issue with the CM,” he said.
Shooting incident: Singh cries conspiracy
When asked about the shooting incident at the home of Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat, Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ at first declined to comment on it.
He, later, said that he had surrendered to the police only after Vidhan Sabha Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal stated to the media that he had seen Singh fire during the dinner party.
“Many had accused me of shooting but I did not surrender, which I did after Kunjwal’s statement because he is the Speaker and I had to honour his statement.” Singh maintained that he was innocent and was being framed as part of a conspiracy.