NH 74 scam: Cong to bring privilege motion against U'khand CM

The Opposition Congress today said it will bring a privilege motion against Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in the Uttarakhand Assembly for "going back" on his promise of a CBI probe into the NH74 scam.
Reminding the chief minister of his statement in the state assembly in which he had assured the House of a CBI probe into the scam, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Indira Hridayesh said that Rawat had "misled" the assembly on the issue.
"More than three months have passed since the CM recommended a CBI probe into the scam but the Centre continues to drag its feet over the issue and the CM is watching helplessly despite announcing in the state assembly during its last session that a CBI inquiry into the scam was certain," Hridayesh told reporters in Haldwani yesterday.

Accusing the chief minister of misleading the state assembly and breaching a promise he had made to the people of the state, Haridayesh said her party will bring a privilege motion against Rawat when the next session of the state assembly is convened for not honouring his commitment.
Hridayesh also warned of launching a jail bharo agitation if the state government did not keep its promise about a CBI probe into the scam.
The senior Congress leader who represents Haldwani seat in the state assembly had vehemently raised the issue during its last session in June accusing the state government as well as the Centre of shying away from a CBI probe into the scam as "big" people were involved in it.

She had even waved a letter from Union Minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari to the state government advising against such an inquiry, saying it will adversely affect the morale of NHAI officials and the implementation of projects the authority had taken up in the state.

Taking cognisance of a report by a state government appointed special investigating teamciting financial irregularities in the procurement of land for NH-74 in Udhan Singh Nagar district, the chief minister had recommended a CBI probe into it on March 25 a week after being sworn in.
The inquiry had pegged the scam to be worth around Rs 240 crore.

It had found that during the land acquisition process for the highwaythe land use pattern was changed from agricultural to non-agricultural to benefit a few landholders, who are believed to have got 20 times higher compensation than the actual cost.
Hridayesh also accused the state government of promoting alcoholism in the state by allowing liquor shops to be opened in residential areas.
She said liquor mafia was terrorising women opposing opening of liquor shops in residential localities and threatened to launch a massive agitation over the issue.