Rajasthan
Govt orchestrated Rs 3,500 crore scam in IT dept, CBI probe needed: BJP | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: BJP on Tuesday seized on a haul of 1kg gold and Rs 2.3 crore in cash at a state government office last week to accuse the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government of “orchestrating a Rs 3,500-crore scam” in the information technology department and demanded a probe by CBI and ED.
Stepping up the offensive ahead of the assembly elections due later this year, leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, BJP state chief CP Joshi and MP Kirori Lal Meena held a joint press conference to make the claims. BJP has lined up protests on June 7.
The trio alleged that Gehlot and additional chief secretary (finance), Akhil Arora, were linked to Friday’s haul from an almirah in Yojana Bhawan. The building houses the IT department and other offices. Arora was unavailable for comment. A joint director of the department was arrested days after the haul.
Joshi said: “Ved Prakash Yadav, the officer arrested, is merely a pawn. The main individuals responsible for corruption remain elusive. The CM, who also holds the portfolios of IT and home, should disclose the origin of the cash and gold.” Rathore accused the government of being involved “in four major scams over the past four-and-a-half years” and linked the haul to procurement of IT equipment through RajCOMP Info Services Ltd, a state-run entity.
Rathore pointed out that the government has allocated 5% of its budget to IT, which includes distributing smartphones to 1.35 crore women, purchase of drones and other projects. “The officer caught with the cash and gold was also a member of the purchase committee. A chain from the joint director (Yadav) to the additional chief secretary (Arora) and Chief Minister (Gehlot) is involved in corruption,” said Rathore.
Rathore raised questions about the source and route through which the gold biscuits reached Yojana Bhawan, accusing the Gehlot government of gold smuggling that must be probed by CBI and ED. Rajya Sabha MP Meena echoed the claims and demands. “Two cases have already been registered with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB). The ACB has requested permission from the competent authority to initiate an investigation, and it is the government’s obligation to grant the request,” he said.
Other than Akhil Arora and Ved Prakash Yadav, Meena implicated several officers, including director of finance Nilesh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Ashish Gupta, and Kaushal Suresh Gupta, for their involvement in alleged corrupt practices.
Stepping up the offensive ahead of the assembly elections due later this year, leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, BJP state chief CP Joshi and MP Kirori Lal Meena held a joint press conference to make the claims. BJP has lined up protests on June 7.
The trio alleged that Gehlot and additional chief secretary (finance), Akhil Arora, were linked to Friday’s haul from an almirah in Yojana Bhawan. The building houses the IT department and other offices. Arora was unavailable for comment. A joint director of the department was arrested days after the haul.
Joshi said: “Ved Prakash Yadav, the officer arrested, is merely a pawn. The main individuals responsible for corruption remain elusive. The CM, who also holds the portfolios of IT and home, should disclose the origin of the cash and gold.” Rathore accused the government of being involved “in four major scams over the past four-and-a-half years” and linked the haul to procurement of IT equipment through RajCOMP Info Services Ltd, a state-run entity.
Rathore pointed out that the government has allocated 5% of its budget to IT, which includes distributing smartphones to 1.35 crore women, purchase of drones and other projects. “The officer caught with the cash and gold was also a member of the purchase committee. A chain from the joint director (Yadav) to the additional chief secretary (Arora) and Chief Minister (Gehlot) is involved in corruption,” said Rathore.
Rathore raised questions about the source and route through which the gold biscuits reached Yojana Bhawan, accusing the Gehlot government of gold smuggling that must be probed by CBI and ED. Rajya Sabha MP Meena echoed the claims and demands. “Two cases have already been registered with the anti-corruption bureau (ACB). The ACB has requested permission from the competent authority to initiate an investigation, and it is the government’s obligation to grant the request,” he said.
Other than Akhil Arora and Ved Prakash Yadav, Meena implicated several officers, including director of finance Nilesh Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Ashish Gupta, and Kaushal Suresh Gupta, for their involvement in alleged corrupt practices.
