Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Hours after the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh demanded a probe into Mayawati’s alleged role in the multi-crore NRHM scam, the state authorities on Monday raided the office of the Public Works Department (PWD) suspecting a major scam in the erection of hundreds of elephant statues across the state during the BSP rule.
As per reports, raids were conducted at the PWD office in Lucknow and Noida and several documents pertaining to the construction of parks and installing statues of elephants- Bahujan Samaj Party’s election symbol.
The government suspects gross irregularities in the process of inviting tenders for the construction of the park and installing the elephant statues in Noida and Lucknow.
The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh has earlier braved allegation of wasting Rs 6 billion of the public's money in building parks and statues across the state to eulogize herself.
Undeterred by criticism, the BSP chief went ahead with her plans to inaugurate a 33-acre park in the name of BR Ambedkar in Noida.
The park, which was built from the government exchequer by spending Rs 650 crore has statues of elephants, B R Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati.
Earlier in the day, Health and Family Welfare Minister in UP govt Ahmed Hassan alleged that Mayawati is also involved in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission scam.
Speaking to reporters, Hassam said, “State’s former chief minister Mayawati’s role should also be looked into the multi-crore NRHM scam. She once retained the health and family welfare department, so she should also be brought under the purview of current investigations into the scam.”
The UP health Minister further said, “It is up to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, to decide what to do and its future course of action in the scam, which got murkier after the mysterious deaths of three Chief Medical Officers.”
First Published: Monday, May 14, 2012, 17:14