National

CBI takes over investigation in Rs 1,179 crore UP sugar mill ‘scam’

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati may find herself in trouble with the CBI taking over the investigation into the alleged disinvestment of 21 state-owned sugar mills in 2010-11, which caused a loss of Rs 1,179 crore to the state government.

A minister in Mayawati government (2007-2012) and once her close aide, Naseemuddin Siddiqui, had claimed last year that the “sugar mills were sold on the instructions of then CM Mayawati and BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra”. However, Mayawati had claimed that the sale order for the sugar mills was issued by Siddiqui, who was later ousted from the party.

The Yogi Adityanath government referred the alleged ‘scam’ to the CBI on April 12, and asked the agency to look into the “entire sale proceedings of 21 sugar mills”, including use of bogus companies and documents in the purchase of seven closed mills in Deoria, Bareilly, Laxmiganj, Hardoi, Ramkola, Chittauni and Barabanki.

Sources told TOI that CBI has already started reviewing documents related to the sale and FIRs could be registered very soon. The agency will look into the role of “politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen” involved in the scam. The Uttar Pradesh government has shared with the CBI an FIR registered at Gomti Nagar police station in November 2017 against two companies which bought mills — Namrata Marketing Pvt Ltd and Girasho Company Pvt Ltd, which sources said were ‘bogus’, and the enquiry report of the state government.

It is alleged that the then Mayawati government had sold the 21 mills, of which 10 were operational, at rates much lower than the market price. Besides machinery, these mills were built over 500 hectares worth Rs 2,000 crore according to present day rates.

The Akhilesh Yadav government didn’t take any action in the scam between 2012 and 2017 despite a CAG report. Adityanath, immediately after coming to power, had said he would probe the matter as “nobody can be allowed to sell such government properties at dirt cheap rates as the property belonged to the people”.
Dear Readers,
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
Some error occurred

Related posts

National Politics

Opting out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership was courageous decision: Piyush Goyal

ANI
Piyush Global

New Delhi: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said opting out of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was a courageous decision made in the interest of our industry and our nation.
The commerce minister was speaking at a function organised by a media house in New Delhi on Saturday evening. Piyush Goyal said, “The government gives top priority to the interests of India while entering into FTAs (free trade agreements) with countries. India doesn’t enter into agreements just for the sake of doing it but only after extensive consultations with all the stakeholders and in-depth brainstorming covering all the issues.” Goyal informed the gathering that India negotiates from a position of strength but wants a fair and balanced deal, according to a statement released by the ministry of commerce and industry on Friday night.
During the event, he also said that the World today recognises that India has arrived.

Also Read: Telangana BJP demands probe into business school student assault case

The commerce minister also said that both in the political world and the business world, everyone now acknowledges India’s story.
Elaborating on it, he said India’s story shows a lot of positive mindset, shows aspirations of a billion plus people desiring a better life for themselves. The story was not limited to economic growth only, it also shows political stability, which has a huge thrust on the corruption-free society, he added.
He also said India is the one bright spot in the world, which will not only improve the lives of a billion plus people, but would also lend a helping hand to the world economy. The world is dependent on India for not only its own economic growth and India’s market, but also for India’s demographic dividend and huge talent pool. Goyal said he believes India is going to be a global superpower in the next 25 years.
Goyal said that the new India had a bright tomorrow, a very powerful tomorrow and a very prosperous tomorrow. He termed India as an energetic youthful nation, which wants better things in life, which is willing to experiment, innovate, and take risks.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by HW News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Related posts

News Hub