Former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged illegal mining activities in Ganga and other river beds.
"Trucks loaded with illegally mined material are being transported to Uttar Pradesh and other states from Uttarakhand by the mining mafia in collusion with politicians and officials. Despite being aware of this, the state government has chosen to be silent," Nishank told reporters on Sunday.
Alleging that the mining scam in Uttarakhand must run into thousand crores of rupees, Nishank said a CBI probe must be ordered. He also accused companies engaged by the state government for the reconstruction work in flood-hit areas of compromising on quality, saying his charge was substantiated by the recent collapse of an under-construction bridge in Uttarkashi, which claimed the life of one labourer.
Alleging that people in the affected regions were without a roof over their head even after a year of the Kedarnath tragedy, he demanded a White Paper on steps taken by the state government to rebuild lives in devastated areas. However, Chief Minister Harish Rawat's media incharge Surendra Kumar dismissed the allegations. "It is a BJP conspiracy to malign the state government and divert people's attention from the issue of price rise."
"Trucks loaded with illegally mined material are being transported to Uttar Pradesh and other states from Uttarakhand by the mining mafia in collusion with politicians and officials. Despite being aware of this, the state government has chosen to be silent," Nishank told reporters on Sunday.
Alleging that the mining scam in Uttarakhand must run into thousand crores of rupees, Nishank said a CBI probe must be ordered. He also accused companies engaged by the state government for the reconstruction work in flood-hit areas of compromising on quality, saying his charge was substantiated by the recent collapse of an under-construction bridge in Uttarkashi, which claimed the life of one labourer.
Alleging that people in the affected regions were without a roof over their head even after a year of the Kedarnath tragedy, he demanded a White Paper on steps taken by the state government to rebuild lives in devastated areas. However, Chief Minister Harish Rawat's media incharge Surendra Kumar dismissed the allegations. "It is a BJP conspiracy to malign the state government and divert people's attention from the issue of price rise."