The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has lodged a First Information Report with Assam police against Enamul Haque Laskar a Congress legislator, and former minister Nurjamal Sarkar for their alleged involvement in financial irregularity involving Rs 270 crore in the state Irrigation Department.
The irregularity was committed towards the end of the last tenure (2006-11) of the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
The FIR, which was signed by state BJP general secretary Prodyut Kumar Bora and legal cell convenor R P Sharma, was filed on Monday, following Gogois' uneasy reaction before the media after the incumbent Irrigation Minister Ardhendu Kumar Dey spilled the beans about the scam before the press.
Gogoi denied receiving any files from the Irrigation minister regarding the alleged scam and commented that the minister should have discussed the matter with him before going to the media.
The BJP has accused Sarkar of appointing Laskar as OSD after his retirement from service in the Irrigation Department, following which the latter issued 67 work orders worth Rs 270 crore by violating financial norms on the eve of the last assembly elections.
The FIR also referred to a statement made by Dey before the media, that he had sent a file to the chief minister regarding the work orders apparently issued by Laskar as the OSD of the Irrigation department flouting financial rules.
"There is indication that Sarkar was clearly involved in appointing Laskar as OSD and had tacit concurrence and involvement in all actions of cheating, forgery, misappropriation and criminal conspiracy committed by Haque," the FIR said.
The FIR also pointed out that the duo had violated Sections 7 and 8 of the Assam Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act of 2005, and had thus allegedly committed a fraud worth Rs 270 crore.
Laskar was appointed the OSD in the state irrigation department following his retirement from the same department. He was subsequently elected a member of legislative assembly on a Congress ticket from Sonai LAC in South Assam in the last Assembly election held early this year.