Memorial scam: UP Lokayukta says Rs 1,400 cr siphoned off

In a jolt to former Chief Minister Mayawati, the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has said public money worth Rs 1,400 crore was siphoned off in construction of memorials during her regime and indicted 199 people including her close aide and former BSP minister Naseemuddi Siddiqui.

Besides Siddiqui, others indicted were another minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, a sitting MLA, several officers and engineers for irregularities in construction of memorials and parks during the previous Mayawati regime.

Regarding any involvement of Mayawati, Lokayukta N K Mehrotra said on Monday there was no evidence.

Submitting his 1,346 page report including annexure to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Mehrotra said irregularities to the tune of Rs 1,400 crore were detected which was 34 per cent of the total budget for construction of memorials and parks.

"I have submitted my report to the chief minister in which 199 persons have been indicted," he told PTI.

Mehrotra said that a total Rs 4,267.83 crore was allocated to four departments of which Rs 4,188.54 crore was spent and "corruption" of Rs 1,410.50 crore has been detected.

He said he had recommended filing of FIRs under the Prevention of Corruption Act and under section 409 of the IPC (criminal breach of trust by public servant) against 19 persons.

The 19 were Siddiqui and Kushwaha, former Joint Director of Mining S A Farooqui, former Managing Director of Rajkiya Nirmaan Nigam C P Singh and 15 engineers.

C P Singh is currently technical advisor to the Uttrakhand chief minister.

For the remaining persons indicted in the report, the Lokayukta recommended that their properties be probed and if these were found disproportionate to their known sources of income, FIRs should be lodged against them.

The breakup of the 199 persons indicted are two ex-BSP ministers, two former MLAs, a sitting MLA, five mining officers, 57 engineers of Nirman Nigam, five engineers of Lucknow Development Authority, two advocates, eight people of the public, leaders of 20 consortiums, 60 representatives of supply firms and 37 accountants of Rajkiya Nagar Nigam.

Soon after assuming office, Yadav had asked the Lokayukta to probe alleged irregularities and corruption in supply of pink sandstone from Mirzapur for the construction of memorials and parks during the BSP regime.