'Govt victimising Gupta for political reasons'

Hitting hard at the state government over the pending vigilance inquiry against his personal secretary Rajiv Gupta, the Union minister for textiles, Shankersinh Vaghela said that the state government was victimising Gupta for political reasons.

About the controversy surrounding financial irregularities in National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), he said that if the ministry provides funds to the NIFT, it reserves the right to conduct an audit of the expenditure of the institute.

The Ministry of Textiles has instituted an inquiry into alleged financial irregularities in NIFT. Gujarat chief secretary P K Laheri was the Director General of NIFT, before being brought to Gujarat. The state government has withheld the vigilance clearance of Rajiv Gupta although it has relieved him from the post he held in the state IAS cadre.

"What is the point in revisiting a 12-year old case and holding back his clearance to the Centre," said Vaghela while referring to the vigilance inquiry that has been initiated against his personal secretary Rajiv Gupta.

Then, referring to the inquiry that his ministry has initiated under the Textile Commissioner, Vaghela said - "It was me who brought P K Laheri to Gujarat from NIFT. I have nothing against him personally. It is just that there was no audit in NIFT for 18 years. After all, the ministry has been providing funds to the institute."

Speaking to Business Standard, Vaghela said that the inquiry against Gupta relates to a case when he was Collector of Mehsana district. "Apparently, a government employee had resorted to extra construction on a piece of government land. Gupta, as Collector, had charged a fee or fine to regularise that particular construction," Vaghela said.

He questioned the state government's intentions in instituting the inquiry, saying that if this case was pending against him, why was he sent on deputation to Turkey in 2002 and also given a promotion.

"Gupta has approached the Central Administrative Tribunal, and has secured a stay on the vigilance inquiry. I think that the state government must not politicise the issue," Vaghela said.

Asked about the role of chief secretary P K Laheri in financial irregularities at NIFT, Vaghela said that since NIFT is under the ministry of textiles and also receives funds from the ministry, it was necessary to carry out an audit of the institute.

"It is just coincidental that Laheri was DG of NIFT before coming to Gujarat. The inquiry will however decide who was responsible for financial irregularities," Vaghela said.