UP acts tough on Rae Bareli officials on Sonia's complaint

Lucknow, Sept 27 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government has lodged FIRs against 62 PWD officials and contractors of Rae Bareli following a public complaint by local MP and AICC President Sonia Gandhi of shoddy quality of civil work being carried out in her constituency.

During her two-day visit to Rae Bareli on September 16 and 17, Ms Gandhi had lamented the construction of roads in the constituency had suffered due to poor quality of work being carried out by Public Works Department officials. Interacting with members of a local vigilance committee, Ms Gandhi had felt that while the repair work was poor, officials often launched several construction works to eventually leave most of them mid way.

Though Ms GAndhi did not interact with reporters during her tour, Congress leaders who attended the meeting claimed, Ms Gandhi wanted the standards used in Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) to be implemented in the construction of roads being built through MP Local Area Development (LAD) fund.

Acting tough on Ms Gandhi's outburst, the government launched a swift probe and booked 62 PWD officials and contractors for mismanagement of funds to the tue of several crores of rupees.

Meanwhile, a local court in Rae BAreli refused to grant bail to 39 contractors and senmt them to 14 days' judicial custody.

The officials caught in the dragnet include two eecutive engineers, 5 assistant engineers, 15 junior engineers, besides 39 contractors.

Congress sources here said since the issue was raised by Ms Gandhi herself, the matter had reached the Union Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST). ''Further funds would be released only after the state government takes action against such officials...the state government was forced to get tough,'' he added.

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