After FIR against engineers, some heads likely to roll
The FIR lodged against eight engineers of irrigation department for irregularities in ₹1,503-crore Gomti Riverfront project may only be the first step.
Some heads may roll once the state government recommends a CBI probe and administrative inquiry begins to fix responsibility for laxity in the implementation of the project without appropriate environment clearances.
Lodging of FIRs against those involved in fraud, financial irregularities and corruption is one of the four major recommendations of the Khanna committee. “Besides FIR and recommendation of CBI probe, the committee has suggested administrative inquiry against those responsible for laxity or administrative lapses. As the project was implemented without looking into environmental aspects, the committee has suggested that clearance should be sought for the project and it should be made useful for the public at minimum cost,” sources said.
The Khanna committee made its recommendations after hearing those who were indicted by a judicial panel that probed into irregularities in the project.
CM Yogi Adityanath had constituted the judicial committee when he found that only 60 per cent work had been carried out despite an expenditure of ₹1,435 crore (95% of project cost).
In its 80-page inquiry report, the judicial committee had taken exception to over expenditure of ₹ 271 crore, fraud in deposit of funds collected from the auction of sludge, poor monitoring and lack of environmental clearance.
The committee questioned the role of former chief secretary Alok Ranjan and the then principal secretary, irrigation, Deepak Singhal, for administrative laxity. “The then executive engineer, superintending engineer, chief engineer, chairman of monitoring committee, and principal secretary (irrigation) appear to be responsible for gross negligence,” the judicial committee observed in its report.
The then chief secretary Alok Ranjan led the monitoring committee with Singhal as its member. The monitoring committee was constituted to oversee the implementation of the project under the SP government which held 23 meetings in two years. Appearing before the Khanna committee, Ranjan and Singhal rebutted charges against them. On administrative laxity, Ranjan said he retired as chief secretary on June 30, 2016 and only presided over 16 of 23 meetings of the committee. He said only ₹ 665 crore of ₹1,435 crore was used till he worked as the chairman of the monitoring committee.