National
NCP smells Rs 40,000 cr scam in ‘revised’ costs of irrigation projects
Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) Hinting at a brewing scam, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to “explain” the cost revision of Rs 40,000 crore for 307 irrigation projects in the state during the past three years.
NCP state spokesperson Nawab Malik has alleged that the Revised Administrative Approval (RAA) was ostensibly to benefit select contractors close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine.
Malik’s allegation comes a fortnight after the state Anti-Corruption Bureau lodged four new first information reports (FIRs) against officials and contractors (December 12) in the alleged Rs 72,000 crore irrigation scam perpetrated during the erstwhile Congress-NCP regime, in which the needle of suspicion points at various NCP bigwigs.
“The BJP built up an atmosphere of a so-called ‘irrigation scam’ during the 2014 elections, and said the methodology of misappropriation was through the RAA. They even said the RAA was corruption,” Malik pointed out.
He said the present BJP government itself allowed RAAs worth Rs 40,000 crore for 307 irrigation projects in the past three years.
“We are not saying this is corruption. But how could the costs escalate so much in such a short time? The government, especially CM Fadnavis need to explain this,” Malik demanded.
He accused the ruling party of changing the names of the former Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme to (now) ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)’ and hiking the cost of the Gosikhurd Project from Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 32,000 crore.
“The state asked the Centre to bear Rs 12,000 crore as grant to the state, but the Centre rejected it on grounds of cost-escalation. The state said that it had financed the project through NABARD, so the government must clarify whether this is a ‘scam’ or not,” Malik added.
Dropping hints without revealing names, he said the project cost was hiked mainly to benefit some contractors, some of whom are in the “Maharashtra Legislative Council and a few in Parliament”.
Rejecting the BJP’s earlier allegations, Malik said in past 52 years before BJP came to power (in 2014), Rs 42,000 crore were spent on irrigation projects in the state, but the BJP created an impression that corruption of Rs 70,000 crore took place through RAA.
“In the same manner, for the cost escalations of Rs 40,000 crore permitted by the BJP government through RAA, the BJP can also be blamed of corruption. The CM must give an explanation on this issue,” Malik said.
Training guns on the upcoming Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway, he said the government has given a clean-chit to bureaucrat Radheshyam Mopalwar, who was accused of graft and was reinstated after 145 days ‘compulsory leave’ on December 26.
“This expressway is also one mega-scam in which some bureaucrats and BJP leaders are involved. In three years, at least 18 ministers and officials were accused of graft, but all got ‘clean chits’ from the CM. We fear injustice to farmers since the CM is shielding the corrupt,” Malik said.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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