State government forwarded the recommendation of lokayukt

State government forwarded the recommendation of lokayukt, NK Mehrotra, for further action into the alleged loss of over a 1179 crore to the state exchequer through sale of 21 government owned sugar mills during Mayawati’s regime. 

``After examining legal formalities into the recommendations made by lokayukt NK Mehrotra, into large irregularities made in sale of government owned sugar mills, government had sent the matter to the Sugarcane Department to initiate further legal proceedings so that culprits could be punished”, disclosed a senior officer in the Home Department, here on Friday afternoon. He claimed that in July earlier this year, Mehrotra had dispatched a primary report on 1000 pages of investigation which he made in the above irregularities.

Sources said that lokayukt, NK Mehrotra, who was handed over the investigation into the above matter, during 16-months long probe had summoned the then chief secretary, Atul Gupta,  over half a dozen district magistrates of the districts where sugar mills were sold along with additional district magistrates, officers of registry and stamp department etc. He also invited the public to appear before him and record their statement or even provide any evidence so that the guilty could be brought to books. 

However, after going through the matter, Mehrotra reportedly drawn conclusion that he could not take appropriate legal action particularly as the matter was earlier looked into Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which alleged a loss of over Rs 1179.84 crore into sale of 21 sugar mills made during Mayawati’s regime. 

Sources further said that in July this year, Mehrotra forwarded the primary report to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, mentioning that since CAG has made an observation so only Vidan Sabha committee—Public Undertakings and Corporation Committee (PUCC) is empowered to take cognizance and act on report of CAG, so matter is better referred to the above committee through the Department concerned. Mehrorta also mentioned that government should ask PUCC, to take cognizance on the CAG report within two months and made recommendations so that action could be taken into the matter.

According to sources, the state government finally acted on Mehrotra’s recommendations and had forwarded the matter to Sugarcane Department for further action. Now the Department would dispatch the matter to PUCC chief Udai Raj and finally on his recommendations on basis of CAG findings, the government would act against the guilty.

It may be mentioned that in 2010-11 when Mayawati was chief minister of the State, she alleged to have sold 21 of the government owned sugar mills at a peanut price and had forwarded benefits of over a thousand crore of rupees to the companies mainly hold by a leading liquor dealer, who died about a year back. The probe made after Opposition Parties raised the issue pointed that many properties were sold a price which is even less to the scrap lying in that mill. Not only this, the other properties including land is running into several thousand crore as all the mills were situated at prime locations.