The Hindu : Other States / Uttar Pradesh News : Walkout in U.P. House over foodgrain scam

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Friday, Mar 04, 2005

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Walkout in U.P. House over foodgrain scam

LUCKNOW, MAR. 3. Accusing the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government of trying to shield the culprits in the alleged multi- crore foodgrain scam in Uttar Pradesh, Congress and BSP members today staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha in protest against its failure to order a CBI inquiry into the scam.

Raising the matter through an adjournment motion, the Congress Legislature Party leader, Pramod Tewari, and Jagadambika Pal alleged large- scale irregularities in the purchase of levy rice by the Government in the last three years.

The Congress members, citing the statistics, claimed that as against the purchase of eight lakh metric tonnes of rice in 2001, as much as 24 lakh metric tonnes of levy rice was bought in 2003-04. They sought to know as to how despite scarcity of rainfall, such a huge quantity of rice was purchased. The two Congress members said a large quantity of foodgrain had been clandestinely sent to Nepal.

The BSP Legislature Party leader, Swami Prasad Maurya, and the BJP Deputy leader, Hukum Singh, also demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.

The Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Raghuraj Pratap Singh rejected the allegations and said that it was the government which had detected irregularities in the distribution of food grains under different schemes.

Singh also informed the House that the matter was being investigated.

Not satisfied with the Government's reply the Congress and BSP members staged a walkout in the House.

Legislator fund

Admitting allegations of irregularities in the Legislator Development Fund, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav today refused to enhance the fund from the present Rs one crore annually.

``Former Prime Minister V. P. Singh had also stated about irregularities in the MP and Legislator development fund, which cannot be ruled out,'' he commented.

Replying to the debate on budgetary proposals for 2005-2006 in the Assembly, Mr Yadav did not accept the demand of some members to hike the Legislator Development Fund to Rs two crore annually. Mr Yadav also announced to suspend all temporary work on roads done by mud under the fund. He suggested that the legislators should finance big projects in their constituencies so that irregularities could be prevented, and further suggested that two of three legislators could also join hands in mega projects of the area. The Chief Minister also admitted that there was extraordinary expenditure on his convoy amounting to Rs 20-25 lakh per year. ``We certainly need to cut down useless expenditure and for this, Opposition should also come forward for helping the Government,'' he added. PTI/UNI

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Walkout in U.P. House over foodgrain scam