Dehradun: Alleging a scam running into crores of rupees in distribution of relief in disaster-hit Uttarakhand, Opposition BJP on Tuesday said the Vijay Bahuguna government should step down owning moral responsibility for it.
Levelling the charges at a press conference here, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Bhatt said not only were commissions taken for distribution of food kits in some of the affected areas but the kits did not even reach the beneficiaries in the worst-hit Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts.
"The relief kits never reached the people they were meant for but the state government made payments on that account to a favoured firm," Bhatt said.
Bhatt alleged that the state government first entrusted a Rishikesh based firm with the task of distributing 6,000 food kits among the affected people in the three districts at the rate of Rs 620 per kit.
An order worth Rs two crore was placed with the firm for the purpose, he said.
Meanwhile, a transport firm was also asked by certain officials to supply 25,000 food kits among the affected people at the same rate, the BJP leader claimed adding that the firm was not even asked to submit a quotation.
Demanding immediate dismissal of officials involved in the scam, Bhatt also asked the Bahuguna government to step down owning moral responsibility for the scam in the name of supplying relief to disaster-hit people of the state.
However, state Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasamana said the opposition leader`s charges were completely unfounded, and at a time when he should praise the government for its relief and rehabilitation efforts, it is levelling baseless allegations against it.
"If Bhatt felt there was something wrong, he should have demanded an inquiry instead of straightaway asking the state government to step down," the Congress leader said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.