The denizens of Pauri have accused Uttarakhand Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik of lying with which he reportedly promised to take action against the chairman of Pauri Municipal Council, Yashpal Benam, for financial irregularities and misuse of municipal funds.
Accusing the BJP-led State Government of dilly-dallying in taking action against the chairman, the local residents said it’s been well over one and half months since the Minister had promised in front of local mediapersons that the State Government would initiate action against the Chairman, but no action has been taken so far by the concerned authorities. They said that the present Government was no better than the previous Congress Government in the State.
The locals also reminded the said chairman was found guilty of financial irregularities and misue of municipal funds by an inquiry report of then District Magistrate and Garhwal Commission
The locals also recalled that during Minister’s to visit to Pauri last month, he informed that Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had limited time to listen to the grievances of the public in Janta Darbar but he did go to inaugurate the newly constructed municipality building even though it was reportedly not a part of the official schedule of the Chief Minister made known to the public.
The general view of the people is that the BJP-led State Government has done little for the welfare of the common public in the duration of seven months with its zero-tolerance to corruption being limited more to speeches than being exemplified in action.
The people here felt that the lokayukta drafted during the tenure of Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, which was also passed and given green signal by the then President of India, should be implemented immediately. This will at least enable the public to approach the lokayukta to complain against corruption officials at a time when the Government appears to be shirking from taking stern action in such cases.
It is pertinent to mention that the State Government had already ceased the financial power of the Pauri Municipal Council Chairman, Yashpal Benam, and handed the same to the District Magistrate.
The controversy arose after Benam published a tender notice after his financial power had been ceased. Three members of the municipal council had submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate demanding that the tender be cancelled.
They also submitted evidences presented by Garhwal MP, Vinod Sachdev, in the municipal council.
The tender was postponed by the district magistrate while in the municipal council board, chairman Benam claimed that even after the opposition, seven members had given their consent for the tender and this was sent to district magistrate.
The autumn festival plan was also passed and the Rs 7 lakh for this will be spent from the municipal fund. Now, people in Pauri are also questioning as to why the autumn festival is being organised with municipal funds. They are demanding that the Pauri district magistrate take necessary action taking all aspects into consideration.