Gomti Riverfront Project: UP govt initiates criminal proceedings

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government on Monday lodged an FIR against 8 engineers of Irrigation Department in connection with Rs 1513 crore-Gomti Riverfront Development project scam.

FIRs have been lodged by irrigation executive engineer at the Gomti Nagar police station under sections 409, 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 7/13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Engineers, who are named in the FIR, are - SN Sharma (Chief Engineer), Kazim Ali (Then Chief Engineer), Shiv Mangal Yadav (Chief Engineer), Akhil Raman (Superintendent Engineer), Kamleshwar Singh (Superintendent Engineer), Roop Singh Yadav (Then Executive Engineer) and Surendra Yadav (Executive Engineer).

The Yogi Adityanath government initiated this action following recommendation of the Suresh Khanna committee which was set up to suggest action on the basis of report of the judicial committee on the project.

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It may be mentioned that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, immediately after taking over the reins of the state, had ordered judicial inquiry into river front project by a retired High Court judge Alok Singh.

The Khanna Committee has suggested, on the basis of Alok Singh committee report, the CBI probe into criminal involvement in financial bunglings with regards to project.

It may be recalled that Gomti Riverfront project in state capital was executed at 16 kms stretch on bank of river Gomti. A lot of allegation of corruption were made during execution of the project which had taken place during the previous regime of Akhilesh Yadav.