AB Sharma
Early Times Report
RAJOURI, Sept 7: The ruling BJP takes great pride in calling itself the guardian of Hinduism, but the people affiliated with the party leave no stone unturned to loot even temples and shrines.
For example, the government has released payment for construction of wall at the shrine of Baba Mehi Mal at Sunderbani here, though the work was never executed.
Under the MGNREGA sponsored works, the BDO Sunderbani has released payment to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakhs for construction of the wall and other civil works at the shrine of the Baba Mehi Mal.
Though no such work has been executed on the ground, the money has been released in favour of the Gram Sevak or Block Level Worker, Thoru Ram, who happens to be father-in-law of Praveen Kumar, the PRO to local MLA Ravinder Raina.
A group of aggrieved villagers said, "This is the height of corruption. Now they don't spare even the shrines. This cheating has hurt our sentiments and we demand a high level inquiry into the bungling."
"When they fail to do justice in execution of work at places of worship, their honesty elsewhere can only be imagined," the villagers said.
Sources said there were large scale irregularities in the execution of the so-called works by the Rural Development Department in the region, as some politicians from BJP and their henchmen have been drawing payments without execution of works.
"There's also a scam in the hiring of laborers for allotment of works. Those who have been given payments for having worked as laborers actually include government daily-wagers and students," said a senior official in the RDD, pleading anonymity.
While the political workers are given payments, the poor laborers, who actually worked on the projects were denied of their payments. In one such case, the BDO released payment to the tune of Rs 1.44 lakhs for construction of a pond at Lahoti village. "Though only half the work has been done and payment was released in full, the poor laborers who worked on the project were never given any payment by the Gram Sewak as he happens to enjoy political patronage of the BJP," the sources said.
When contacted, the MLA's PRO refused to talk on the allegations against his father-in-law Thoru Ram.
Ram, on the other hand, told this reporter, "What will happen by publishing a story? You better take chai-paani from me."
A senior official said given the large-scale irregularities allegedly by the BJP leaders and their workers, the officials concerned have been asked to keep quite or face the music.
"If the government is serious in weeding out corruption which has broken all records in the PDP-BJP regime, let a Vigilance probe be ordered," the official said. |
