laid norms to allocate mining lease in Chitrakut has been openly violated. This sensational fact has been revealed during enquiry by the lokayukta (retd) Justice, NK Mehrotra, probing the disproportionate assets against mining minister Gyatri Prajapati, and illegal mining in the state. Sources revealed that the district magistrate of Chitrakut sent report to the lokayukta on Monday, in which she confirmed that three mining leases have been issued in the period of which Mehrotra summoned the details. She revealed that the mining leases have been given to Raj Kumar Singh, and Prakash Chandra Dwivedi. She said that mining lease has been sanctioned to Raj Kumar Singh for the period of February 19, 2009 till 18, December 2012 and later the same lease has been extended for the period of August 25, 2014 to February 12, 2016. Similarly, she said that two leases were given to Prakash Chandra Dwivedi (from January 17, 2011 till December 16, 2014 and May 13, 2013 till May 12, 2016). The first lease also got an extension from December 12, 2014 till January 28, 2016.
However, what pointed towards glaring violation of the norms is that the district magistrate also informed that in the all three leases, the offer to allocate leases was published in just one news paper and that too in a small local dailies which had not even authorized by the government to issue official advertisement. Sources said that the advertisement for the lease awarded to Raj Kumar Singh was published on February 1, 2006 in a local newspaper in Allahabad while in the Prakash Chandra Dwivedi’s case, the advertisement were published in a local daily in Banda. Sources said that lokayukta would not seek details from the DM that how the lease has been allocated after publishing advertisement in just one local daily when the rules said that at least two prominent news paper must cover to advertisement.
Meanwhile, lokayukta also called Minority affairs secretary S P Singh on Tuesday, to clarify some points before making any probe into the allegations made on Urban Development and Minority Welfare Minister Mohammad Azam Khan made by social activist Nutun Thakur. Sources said that Mehrotra wanted to clear that on whose call, the decision to allot government land and building of Maulana Jauhar Ali Shodh Sansthan at Rampur for Azam Khan’s Maulana Jauhar Ali Trust was taken. Similarly, what statements has been mentioned in RsNote Sheet’, what opinion has been given by advocate general, etc.
Sources further confirmed that as the announcement in this regard has been made by chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, and the move was later also made through approval of the State cabinet, so under the provisions of the lokayuta Act, Mehrotra could not probe the matter. Sources said that after recording the statement of the concerned persons, Mehrotra is likely to close the files, giving relief to Azam Khan in the matter.
It may be mentioned that Nutan alleged that the move to allot government land and building of Maulana Jauhar Ali Shodh Sansthan at Rampur for Azam Khan’s Maulana Jauhar Ali Trust was a ‘’blatant’’ disregard to the rules and regulations’ without following the mandatory transparent process. The complaint further alleges that Azam Khan pressurised the government authorities to grant 1500 square yard government land and building built at the cost of Rs 9.83 crores to his private trust for 30 years lease for a nominal annual rent of Rs 100, while completely ignoring the law formulated by the Supreme Court. The complainant even claimed that the then Secretary, Devesh Chaturvedi had strongly opposed this move calling it a case of direct conflict of interest after which he was removed from the post and the government machinery was forced to get this ‘’illegal’’ order passed.