Rajasthan: Congress MLA accuses minister of corruption

KOTA: A Congress MLA has questioned the integrity of the government and has held a minister responsible for corruption .


Displeased with the delay in maintenance of NH-27 due to alleged persistent delay in issuing the permission letter by state mining department, Sangod MLA Bharat Singh wrote to chief minister Ashok Gehlot on October 12 and levelled allegations of corruption against the head of the state mining department saying ‘What honesty can one expect in the department when the head is corrupt.’

Although Rs 208.54 crore has aleady been sanctioned for maintenance of the highway, an assistant engineer of the mining department in Baran, on the behest of his ‘Akka’ is intentionally raising hurdles and is not issuing the permission letter for maintenance, Singh alleged in the letter to the CM.

Referring to CM Ashok Gehlot’s budget speech Para 81 and 180, where the CM had mentioned ‘the flowing Ganga of corruption’ asking who flooded it and laid emphasis that his government would work on ‘zero corruption’ and ‘zero harassment’ policy, Singh alleged that the head of the mining department is corrupting the department. On the behest the mining department head, the contractor is being harassed, Singh alleged.

The central government now wants to repair the highway, but the state mining department is raising obstacles and harassing the public who is forced to pay toll for the damaged and ditched road, the MLA alleged. He added that the contractor has himself narrated him the tale of harassment by the state mining department, but for his being a member of the Congress party, it would be wrong to write further.

Singh winds up his letter requesting to defend his government from corrupt people.

Pramod Jain Bhaya, who is the MLA from Anta in Baran district, is the mining minister.

Speaking to TOI on Sunday, Singh stuck to his allegations of corruption and harassment against his own government and without mentioning the name of any individual, held the mining department minister responsible for hindrance. “The amount has been sanctioned but work has failed to start because of hindrance by the minister who should be expediting it,” Singh said.