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UP cabinet minister sacked amid CBI probe into illegal mining
In a terse comment on the statement of the principal secretary that he had no information of the illegal mining, the Court had said, “ it is nothing but an eye wash”. This statement was made to the suggestion of the Court to go for satellite mapping to gather information on illegal mining
Lucknow: The illegal mining which is said to be rampant in Uttar Pradesh has claimed one head, that of mines minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati. State chief minister Akhilesh Yadav removed him from his cabinet on Monday, according to official sources.
He has simultaneously sacked another cabinet minister Raj Kishore Singh who was heading the horticulture department. Ram Govind Chaudhary will look after this department now in addition to his own of food.
More heads may roll in the mining case after the Central Bureau of Investigation which has been asked to inquire into the mining scandal completes its probe. The investigating agency's probe was ordered by the Allahabad High Court on Friday.
Akhilesh has already sent his letters sacking them to governor Ram Naik. The portfolio held by Prajapati has been offered to Mulchand Chauhan.
It gives a bit of Akhilesh's mind. He may take action against some more ministers who are equally controversial and who have been charged with corrupt practices.
These actions may put the government in a different light and improve the party's prospects in the coming election
Prajapati , besides amassing huge wealth, is charged with benefiting his family members including his daughter adopting unfair means.
The Court was so displeased that it ordered a CBI probe despite state government's plea against it. It had caused a severe jolt to the government.
Also Read: Illegal mining unabated due to politico- bureaurocratic nexus
Backgrounder:
- A two-judge bench of justice D B Bhonsle and justice Yashwant Verma while ordering a CBI inquiry had given six weeks’ time to the agency to submit its report to the Court.
- Earlier, in a terse comment the Court had said that illegal mining of this scale was not possible without the connivance of the officials. Also that since the state government had not done much to end the menace ,the Court was left with no alternative but to order probe by this agency.
- In a terse comment on the statement of the principal secretary that he had no information of the illegal mining, the Court had said, “ it is nothing but an eye wash”. This statement was made to the suggestion of the Court to go for satellite mapping to gather information on illegal mining.
- According to unofficial sources, main districts where illegal mining is being done are Sonebhadra, Bundelkhand, Bijnore, Mirzapur and Shahjahanpur.
Arnima Dwivedi
A journalist, presently working as a sub-editor with newstrack.com. I love exploring new genres of humans and humanity.
