Harak tears into Speaker, CM over fund misuse

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 25

Former cabinet minister and BJP leader Harak Singh Rawat on Thursday attacked Chief Minister Harish Rawat for misusing the discretionary fund and allegedly transferring the funds from Van Nigam to his own people for managing the elections.

The former cabinet minister, who returned after holding Pardafash rallies in the Chief Minister’s constituency of Dharchula and Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal’s constituency of Jageswhwar also alleged that the liquor mafia was paying Rs 20 crore per month to the Chief Minister.

“I accuse the Chief Minister of receiving Rs 20 crore per month as part of a deal. If the CBI is asked to examine the entire FL-2 scam, he will stand exposed. During the Cabinet meeting, we had raised the issue that the state was earning a bad name. The Chief Minister Harish Rawat had then offered to resign after which the Minister for Home Affairs Preetam Chauhan had asked him to do it,” said Rawat.

He said after being elected from Dharchula, he had done little for the welfare of the people. “There is widespread anger among the people as he had failed to make the constituency a model one as promised by him. Money from the discretionary fund is being diverted for election preparations and distributed among the needy and ill,” he said.

Harak Singh Rawat also attacked Speaker of the Assembly Govind Singh Kunjwal for indulging in nepotism and favoritism. “He has appointed his daughter as an assistant publicity officer and his son-in-law as review officer in the Vidhan Sabha. How can he do it, when not a single person from his constituency of Jageshwar has managed to get a permanent job, ” he charged.

Buoyed with the success of his tour in Kumaon, Harak Singh Rawat said the people were crying for a change and the BJP would manage to win around 40-45 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.

He also said in case the BJP came back to power, it would ask for a CBI inquiry into all scams that took place since the creation of the state.