Mulayam slams Mayawati Govt. over UP food scam

Lucknow, Dec 7 (ANI): Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday criticized the Mayawati Government in the state for not keeping a track of developments related to the multi-crore food scam case.

Yadav said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the scam was initiated during his government.

"It was my government that instituted the CBI probe into the food scam. My government had given specific instructions to the highest authorities to carry out a probe. My government is clean in this regard," said Yadav.

The scam, which is estimated at over Rs two lakh crore saw a huge stock of food grains meant for distribution among the poor in Uttar Pradesh being smuggled outside the state and even the country to Bangladesh, Nepal and other nations.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had on December 3 directed the state agencies to refer to the CBI in order to proceed expeditiously with investigation into the multi-crore-foodgrain scam in Uttar Pradesh and conclude the same within six months.

A division bench comprising Justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia passed the order while allowing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Vishwanath Chaturvedi seeking direction for a CBI probe into the scam.

The petitioner drew the attention of the court towards the high degree of corruption prevailing in Uttar Pradesh whereby food grains meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders covered under schemes such as Antyodaya, Jawahar Rozagar Yogana and mid-day meals was smuggled not only outside the state but outside the country. (ANI)