Cong targets BSP over memorials
LUCKNOW: The Opposition on Wednesday demanded a through probe into the misuse of funds in the construction of memorials, parks and other monuments constructed during the Mayawati regime.
Expressing concern over the findings of CAG report tabled in the state assembly, leader of Congress legislature party Pradeep Mathur said the government should constitute an enquiry commission to probe into the matter.
He said the state government also had the prerogative to refer
THE CAG HAS ALSO FOUND CONSTRUCTION WORKS WERE CARRIED OUT AT HIGHER RATES, LEADING TO A ` 398-CR LOSS TO EXCHEQUER
the case to the CBI. He said the issue required urgent government attention and it should not keep quiet in the matter.
The Comptroller and Auditor Genral (CAG) has, in its report tabled in the legislative assembly on Tuesday, said there were largescale embezzlement of funds in the construction of five Dalit memorials constructed by the Maywati government in 2007-10. The CAG found that the outlay for the memorials, four of which were built in Lucknow and one in Noida, was originally pegged at Rs 943.73 crore, but was eventually raised to Rs 4,558 crore.
Also, the construction in Lucknow was started without obtaining the necessary environmental clearances. Nor did the Mayawati government constitute a high-level committee to monitor the work. The CAG report on Economic Sector-Non-PSUs for the 2012-13 fiscal was tabled by parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan.
The CAG report probed the construction of Bhima Rao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal, Manyavar Kashirma Smaraka Sthal, Buddha Vihar Shanti Upvan and Eco Park and the Manyavar Kanshiram Green Eco Garden in Lucknow and the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal and Green Garden in Noida.
The auditor found several irregularities and held that the expenditure finance committee did not examine the necessity and expediency of the projects.
The Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (RNN), which was made the main executing agency, incurred excess expenditure of Rs10.53 crore due to imprudent financial management.
It did not select consultants through competitive bidding and paid them excess Rs2.31 crore at a higher rate for repetitive works.
The project was not conceived as a whole and new works worth a whopping Rs 3,537.68 crore were added during the execution phase.
Moreover, as per the CAG, there was frequent amendment in the drawings and design of the project, leading to dismantling of newly constructed structures. This led to infructuous expenditure of Rs29.62 crore. No record of the scrap material retrieved from dismantled structure was maintained.
RNN decided the rate of the majority of items, without obtaining approval of the high level committee.
The CAG has also found that construction works were carried out at higher rates, leading to a Rs398-crore loss to the state exchequer.
Excess expenditure of Rs13 crore was incurred on purchase of bronze murals, fountains and other items. Extra Rs16.11 crore were spent on sandstone. Irregularities were committed in the purchase of electrical equipments as well.
Back in September 2012, the Samajwadi Party government had urged the Lokayukta to probe the construction of the memorials.
Lokayukta justice (retd) NK Mehrotra had detected a Rs1,410crore scam and ordered the registration of FIRs against former PWD minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui and former mining minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, as well as 19 engineers of the Rajkiya Nirman Nigam.