Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has canceled the allotment of 72 industrial plots to MSME minister Rakesh Sachan in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur, which were lying idle for a decade.
It also ordered an inquiry on Tuesday to look into the “procedural lapses” of officials involved in the process of land allotment.
ThePrint had informed of Sachan on Sunday was allotted 72 industrial plots in two industrial areas in Chakhana and Sudhwapur areas during the SP rule in 2012-13 when he was the Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Fatehpur.
hope from truth issue a statement in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. “A statement will be issued in the assembly tomorrow on this matter. nothing will be said before told ThePrint on Tuesday.
In his letter dated February 11, Satyendra Singh, president of the Fatehpur unit of Laghu Udyog Bharti, drew the attention of the Commissioner and Director (Industries) of UP and the District Magistrate of Fatehpur that no industrial unit has been set up on any of these plots.
Laghu Udyog Bharti is an all India non-profit organization working for the issues of micro and small scale industries since 1994.
Singh told ThePrint that even a decade after the allotment, neither a single rupee was paid as fee nor any lease deed was signed.
Six months ago, he had flagged these discrepancies in a meeting of Udyog Bandhu (the UP government’s agency to help entrepreneurs invest) before DM Shruti Sharma and ADM (Finance). Thereafter, Sharma directed General Manager (District Industries Centre) Anjneesh Kumar Singh to inquire into these allegations.
While there was little movement on that front, Mayur Maheshwari, CEO of the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA), last week directed a two-member inquiry panel to probe alleged irregularities in the allotment after receiving wide coverage in the media. Maheshwari also holds the charge of Commissioner and Director (Industries).
“The committee comprising Deputy Commissioner (Industries) Ajay Chaurasia and Assistant Commissioner Sandhya submitted a report which found procedural lapses in the allotment process. It was found that the allotment was done on May 11, 2012,” a senior UP government official told ThePrint.
Subsequently, Joint Commissioner Industries Sarveshwar Shukla said that the order to cancel the allotment was issued on Tuesday and the plots are “now open for allotment to the public.”
“Basically, the committee found procedural lapses due to which the allotment was cancelled… Procedural lapses were found on the part of the Fatehpur District Industries Center (DIC) officials involved in the process at that time. A departmental inquiry has been set up to probe his role,” he told ThePrint.
Shukla said no money was deposited against the allotment of 72 plots made in 2012.
Sources in the UP government said that lapses were noticed in the role of five officers of Fatehpur DIC and the Prayagraj Joint Commissioner (Industries) was tasked to conduct an inquiry within 15 days.
Refusing to divulge the details of the officers under probe, Shukla said the names would be revealed by the investigating officer after the probe is over. “That’s all. Full stop. No need to push it any further.” Sources in the MSME department said responsibility should be fixed on all the officials involved.
(Edited by Tony Rae)
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