BJP to approach HC over alleged liquor, riverbed mining scams

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 1

Uttarakhand BJP general secretary Prakash Pant on Tuesday said the party would approach the Nainital High Court to force the Congress-led government to act against the accused in the sting CD and riverbed mining scam.

“As a responsible Opposition, we will continue to raise our voice against the Congress government both outside and in the Vidhan Sabha. In case the government fails to respond to our posers, we will approach the High Court,” said Pant at a press conference here. He sought answers from the state government on the alleged sting CD scam in which Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s former personal secretary was involved.

“We have provided a copy of the CD to Governor KK Paul and the Uttarakhand government for examination. If the government initiated a forensic examination of the CD, then why no FIR was filed against IAS Mohammed Shahid who was shown purportedly making deals in lieu of liquor licences in the state?” he said.

Pant also asked the government to explain the reasons behind the demolition of a portion of the structure owned by the man who claims to have made the sting CD.

On the issue of the alleged illegal mining underway in the state, Pant wanted to know why the state government had allowed private players to undertake mining activity when there were clear provisions in the policy to carry out mining activity through the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).

He said more than one lease were given to an individual in various cases in violation of the provisions of allocation of mining leases on private land. The state government should explain the anomaly.