Yogi govt orders probe into Mayawati's Rs 455 cr road project

FIR reports said that the country's top banks were also involved in the scam.

Lucknow, May 30: In a major setback for Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into Rs 445 crore scam in the State Highway Authority during her tenure.

According to reports, the initial inquiries made by the government suggested that Rs 455 crore was withdrawn from the bank for construction of 206 km of road on National Highway 57 linking Delhi-Saharanpur to Yamnotri. M/S SEW-SSY Highways Pvt Ltd was awarded contract for the construction of a four-lane road in 2011 by the then Mayawati government. The total cost of the project was about Rs 1, 700 crore and was supposed to be completed in three years.

PWD Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that nothing was done on the ground and route of 206 km road. He also said that the company withdrew Rs 455.58 crore from 14 banks, adding that the review of the work revealed that only 13 per cent of work was completed.

He added that the company had withdrawn Rs 455.48 crore but has only spent only 150 crore faking construction works on papers.

On instructions of the Maurya, a FIR was lodged at the Gomtinagar police station against four officials of the company and 18 others including bank officers.

According to the FIR, the bank officers and staff were allegedly involved in the withdrawal of the amount. It also said that the country's top banks were also involved in the scam. The Fir listed the banks as State Bank of India, Punjab and Sindh Bank, ICICI, Corporation, Union Bank of India and State Bank of Hyderabad.

On references of the Maurya, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recommended a CBI probe into the matter. The yogi-led government is likely to order another CBI probe into Rs 1,513 crore Gomti Riverfront Beautification project.

According to reports, a commission holding preliminary probe has revealed that former chief secretary Alok Ranjan, the then principal secretary Deepak Singhal and 12 senior engineers found guilty in inflating project cost and syphoning government funds.

It is recalled that the Yogi government had recommended a CBI probe into the mysterious death of IAS officer Anurag Tiwari on May 22.

OneIndia News