Saturday, 09 July 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Cong leader dares the Govt to also order probe into corruption charges on minister Dhan Singh Rawat
Reacting sharply to the allegation of irregularities levelled by a member of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) and the direction to the chief secretary by the cabinet minister Dhan Singh Rawat to investigate the charges, the former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal has demanded that a committee headed by a retired judge of High Court (HC) should investigate the charges levelled on him. He also demanded that the chief minister should also order a similar high level inquiry into the charges of corruption and irregularities on the minister Dhan Singh Rawat.
Interacting with the media persons at the headquarters of the state Congress here on Friday a visibly offended Godiyal warned that if both these investigations (against him and Dhan Singh Rawat) are not ordered within a week, he will sit on Dharna outside the residence of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
He claimed that the allegations of irregularities during his term as the chairman of the BKTC from the year 2012 to 2017 by someone who is a supporter of Dhan Singh Rawat prove that the minister is trying to divert public attention from the allegation of corruption on him (minister). He challenged that the minister should come before the media and put forward his explanation on these charges.
In the press conference Godiyal gave a point to point response to the allegations made against him. In response to allegations that Rs 10 crore were spent on the repair of a temple in Pauri district, Godiyal said that the approval was given by the board of BKTC and all the members of the board were appointed during the BJP government’s tenure. He added that only Rs 3.25 crore had been spent on this work. On the allegation that a road was constructed in Tehri district by the BKTC, the Congress leader said that 46 Nali land was purchased by the temple committee for cultivation of herbs and this road was planned for easy transport of the produce. Godiyal said that he planned a ‘Dhyan Kendra’ in Badrinath and for it a firm was approached for making a spiritual movie. He claimed that the BKTC earned more money by selling the cassettes than the money which was spent on them. He also claimed that the allegation of corruption in making Prasad (Badri Laddus) is also baseless and on corruption charges in appointments in BKTC challenged that he will retire from public life if someone proves that any single permanent appointment was done by him. On the promotion of an officer as Executive Engineer, the Congress leader said that this promotion was done on merit and as per the norms.
Launching a scathing attack on the Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, the former PCC president said that the money was demanded from the candidates for recruitment in nursing posts in the health department. He also claimed that shares worth Rs 31 Crore were purchased from a defunct company by the Cooperative banks and alleged that payment of crores of rupees was made on the basis of forged bills to the hospitals which are closed under the Ayushman Yojana.
The PCC president Karam Mahara said that the allegations of corruption on a person who had not taken a single penny from the temple committee during the five year term as chairman of BKTC are deplorable. He alleged that the change in the structure and plan of the Kedarnath temple is being done by the temple committee.
Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that the allegations on a clean and non controversial person like Godiyal are done with malafide political intentions. He said the ruling BJP is targeting the opposition leaders by making false and fictitious allegations.
The vice president Mathura Dutt Joshi, Rajiv Mehrishi, Navin Joshi, Garima Dasauni and others were present on the occasion.
