http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/mayawati-counters-corruption-allegations-with-white-paper/articleshow/11134061.cms
16 Dec, 2011, 06.48PM IST, ET Bureau
Mayawati counters corruption allegations with white paper
LUCKNOW: Rattled by the opposition onslaught on corruption in her
government, Chief Minister Mayawati released a white paper on her
government's functioning and the various transparency and
accountability procedures adopted by her.
With her brother Anand Kumar's name being raised by the opposition BJP
in various land deals, and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi
repeatedly alleging embezzlement of central funds, the white paper was
brought out to clear the picture, said Mayawati. She had in a public
rally recently said that the Congress was trying to implicate her
brother in corruption cases by misusing the CBI.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Minister, the Cabinet Secretary
Shashank Shekhar Singh said that Mayawati has already declared that
nobody from her family will be associated with either her party or the
government and she remains committed to that.
He said that all laid down procedures and utmost transparency was
adopted by the government during the last four and half years in power
and despite inheriting a corrupt system from the previous government,
they have done all possible to end malpractices.
In the white paper which elaborates on the functioning of 24 major
departments of the government, the Chief Minister justified various
decisions taken in allotment of liquor shops and its wholesale
business, allotment of plots in Noida region, privatisation of sugar
mills and allotment of various mega projects in the power and
infrastructure department.
Many of the said deals have attracted allegations of large scale
corruption and the matter has reached the Lok Ayukta also in some of
these.
Singh said that the white paper has been cleared by the cabinet and it
would lay to rest all allegations against the government.
Special mention was made about the various memorials and parks
constructed during her regime. Singh said that just 1% of the state
budgetary provisions were used to build these memorials and government
agencies were appointed as nodal agencies to construct them. The
memorials of various Dalit icons were built to honour the sentiments
of the neglected sections of the society after proper provisions were
made for funds and all procedures adopted by it.
It said that a proper valuation of the statues installed in these
memorials cannot be ascertained and all procedures were adopted in
making their payments.
The white paper said that a Special Zone comprising of western-UP
districts were created to give the license of operating liquor shops.
This was done to end illicit liquor smuggling from neighboring states
which was rampant in this area, said the white paper justifying
handing over the area to a prominent liquor baron. All procedures were
adopted in doing so and a government body UP Sugar Mill Sangh was
given the mandate to do so with a private partner called Blue Water
Harvesting.
No monopoly was created and the excise revenue from sale of liquor has
increased since this system was put in place, said Singh.
The white paper also justified the allotment of farm houses and
commercial as well as residential plots in the Noida-Greater Noida
region.
While farmhouses were allotted under the prevalent open ended scheme
laid down for institutional land based on interviews which is an old
practice, said Singh. Group housing and commercial plots are allotted
under the two bid system after widely publicising the scheme said
Singh.
The allotment of plots in Noida region is being highlighted by the BJP
which has been gunning for the Mayawati government. BJPs Uma Bharti
and Kirit Somaiya have alleged a Rs 3,000 crore scam in allotment of
land in Noida and written to the central government to get it probed.
The white paper also explained the governments functioning under
various centrally government schemes like MNREGA and NRHM which is
being raised by Rahul Gandhi as part of his campaign to corner
Mayawati over corruption. He has been saying in his election speeches
the that the elephant (symbol of BSP) is eating all the money being
sent by the central government to the state.
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