After the dismal performance in Urban Local Bodies poll, Samajwadi Party faced further trouble when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took up a probe into alleged financial anomalies in Gomti Riverfront project - former CM Akhilesh Yadav’s pet project. The CBI registered a case in this regard reportedly on Thursday night.
Sources said that initially the CBI had refused to take up the probe due to shortage of manpower but after fresh initiative of Yogi Adityanath’s government, the Central agency accepted the s proposal and took up the probe by formally registering a case on Thursday night.
Sources in the CBI said on Friday that the FIR was lodged in Lucknow against Chief Engineers Gulesh Chandra, SN Sharma, Qazim Ali, then Superintending Engineers Shiv Mangal Yadav, Akhil Raman, Kamaleshwar Singh, Roop Singh Yadav and Executive Engineer Surendra Yadav.
Gulesh Chandra, Shiv Mangal Yadav, Akhil Raman and Roop Singh Yadav have now retired. The CBI sleuths will now visit Lucknow to take up all relevant papers for the probe.
Earlier an FIR was lodged against eight engineers of Irrigation department for irregularities with Gomti Nagar police station. The FIR was filed by an executive engineer of Sharda Project for misappropriation of funds, financial anomalies and Prevention of Corruption Act. Officials against whom FIRs were lodged were posted as Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers.
The state government hardened its stand after a primary probe pointed that officials were involved in committing financial anomalies in the Rs 1,513 crore project.
On April 1, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a high-level probe during a review meeting after it was found that only 60 per cent work on the project was complete even as 90 per cent of the funds were exhausted. Yogi had then ordered an inquiry by a retired High Court judge into the anomaly.
Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar was asked to set up a committee and asked that the report be tabled within 45 days. Urban Development minister and Irrigation minister Dharmpal Singh was asked to monitor the development at Gomti Riverfront.