The Madhya Pradesh Congress onFriday welcomed the state government's decision to get the 'Bundelkhand package scam' probed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and alleged corruption in the then BJP government had led to irregularities in use of the funds.A Rs 7,226-crore financial package was announced in 2009 by the Centre to develop the backward districts of the Bundelkhand region, which is spread over Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh."During the UPA government's tenure, the Bundelkhand package was sanctioned because of special interest taken by former party chief Rahul Gandhi," state Congress media department's chairperson Shobha Oza said.Of Rs 7,226 crore, Madhya Pradesh was supposed to get Rs 3,860 crore, but nothing happened on ground because of "rampant corruption" in the implementation of the scheme, she alleged."The then BJP government (in Madhya Pradesh) never wanted to develop the region and the funds were misused to such an extend that the registration number of vehicles meant for transporting stones weighing five tonnes were found to be of two-wheelers," Oza claimed.Even after the scam was unearthed, the then BJP government headed by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was not interested in probing it, she said."It is our government's commitment to probe all scams that took place in the state during the BJP regime, including Vyapam (admission and recruitment scam), Simhastha Kumbh scam, irregularities in e-tendering, pension and tree plantation schemes," she added.Meanwhile, the BJP said the government is free to probe any scam, but it should not politicise the issue by leveling baseless allegations."They should first find out how the Bundelkhand package was implemented by the (then) Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, which was supported by the Congress, and by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh," state BJP spokesman Rajneesh Agrawal said.The Congress had exposed itself by being unsuccessful everywhere, so they are doing this just to politicise the matter and are not serious about it, he added.
