Monday, 05 September 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Party requests State government to take action on corruption charges against Chamoli district Panchayat head
The Bharatiya Janata Party has requested the State government to expedite implementation of Uttarakhand High Court directions regarding action on corruption allegations on former cabinet minister Rajendra Bhandari’s wife and Chamoli district Panchayat chairperson Rajni Bhandari. Stating this, the BJP State spokesman Suresh Joshi opined that those who did not refrain from orchestrating a scam in the management of Nanda Devi Rajjat- connected to the cultural identity of Uttarakhand, are now indulging in drama of anti-corruption campaign outside the Vidhan Sabha.
In a statement released on Sunday, Joshi said that the senior Congress leader’s wife and Chamoli district Panchayat chairperson was found guilty by the HC of misusing her position and indulging in corruption. He said, “The government inquiry conducted in the past had also ascertained that as the district Panchayat head, in the management of Nanda Devi Rajjat Yatra in 2012-13, Rajni Bhandari had violated the tender process and benefited some contractors in construction of bridges and roads on the Yatra route. In this case which resulted in revenue loss amounting to crores of rupees to the State government, the HC bench headed by Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi had directed the State government on July 19 to take action against Bhandari.”
The BJP spokesman further said that he has requested chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take strict action against such people who do not hesitate to orchestrate corruption in such an important event linked to the religious faith and cultural identity of the State. Referring to her husband and former cabinet minister Rajendra Bhandari, he said that it was unfortunate that a politician mired in corruption from head to toe was staging a drama by sitting outside the Vidhan Sabha on protest. “Looking at the photograph of the protest shows that most of the protesters were those who faced allegations of corruption while in power. The protest was also attended by a top leader who made major claims about honesty but was caught on camera making a deal to allow the loot of the State. Today, while the Dhami government is facilitating the biggest investigation in the history of the State on appointments, the Vidhan Sabha speaker has also ordered a probe into appointments made in the Vidhan Sabha so far. At such a time, the State and central Congress leaders should not waste their energy on misinforming the public about corruption. They should instead use their energies to defend themselves in the High Court and Supreme Court,” added the BJP State spokesman.
