Known for its mesmerizing landscapes, wealthy minerals and conventional Vanvasis customs, a few of which have been celebrated and being practiced for 1000’s of years by the Vanvasi group, the tribal-dominated state of Chhattisgarh is all set to elect its new authorities after the state meeting elections scheduled to be held in November this 12 months.
The state, which has to date witnessed fifteen years of rule below the BJP and eight years of rule below the Congress together with the incumbent Congress authorities, which is all set to finish its 5 12 months tenure for the first time in the state, is now below the warmth of an ongoing tussle between the BJP and the Bhupesh Baghel led Congress celebration.
On one hand, the Congress authorities is relying on the mass enchantment of their leaders like Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo after the duo not too long ago claimed to have settled their variations. On the different hand, the essential opposition BJP is heading in the elections alleging vast scale corruption throughout the tenure of the incumbent Congress authorities.
It is to be famous that the mineral-rich state, which can also be one in all the high producers of rice, has grabbed the consideration of the media these days for all the incorrect causes. The BJP hit the streets a variety of instances alleging that a variety of scams, together with the coal, liquor, Public Service Distributor (PSD), scams flourished and felicitated by the coal, liquor and different syndicates in cooperation with just a few high authorities officers in the state. Now that the state meeting elections are approaching, listed below are the particulars of the alleged scams labeled by the opposition BJP and the Congress authorities’s rebuttal to them:-
Rs 2000 crore liquor rip-off
One of the greatest alleged scams which have additionally turned the heads of the nationwide media these days is the Rs 2000 crore liquor rip-off that flourished proper below the nostril of the incumbent Congress authorities, as claimed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to the findings of the company, a Rs 2000 crore liquor rip-off in the state being operated by a cartel composed of bureaucrats, non-public liquor suppliers, authorities officers and individuals with heavy political backing flourished in the state with Anwar Dhebar as its kingpin.
The ED investigation in the case has to date revealed that one firm particularly M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited primarily based at Noida, was illegally granted a young to provide Holograms to the Excise division of Chhattisgarh. The firm was not eligible to take part in the tender course of, however in connivance with the firm’s proprietor the senior officers of the state of Chhattisgarh particularly Arun Pati Tripathi ITS (Special Secretary Excise), Niranjan Das (Excise Commissioner), Anil Tuteja IAS modified the tender situation and illegally allotted the tender to the M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited Noida.
As a quid professional quo, they took a fee of eight paise per hologram and likewise took a dedication to provide unaccounted duplicate holograms to hold out a sinister crime of promoting unlawful nation liquor bottles from state-run retailers in Chhattisgarh. The hologram was a security characteristic to make sure that authenticated liquor is offered in the state. But the motion of M/s Prizm Holography in manufacturing duplicate Holograms in Noida, allowed the Liquor syndicate to make use of the exact same security characteristic to idiot the gullible basic prospects.
Investigation has revealed that tender was allotted to this firm as a part of the legal conspiracy and M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited was granted the tender in order to make sure a clean provide of duplicate holograms to the liquor syndicate. The Holograms had been made at the Noida manufacturing facility after which transported to Chhattisgarh as per the directions from the Liquor syndicate leaders. The syndicate, as a part of the association, allotted the contract of supplying 80 crore holograms in 5 years at a extremely inflated worth to M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited in return for an on-demand provide of duplicate holograms.
The ED grievance additionally revealed that in the course of the investigation, Vidhu Gupta, the proprietor of the M/s Prizm Holography Security Films Private Limited, had admitted that each the authentic and duplicate holograms had been manufactured in their Noida manufacturing facility premises.
Earlier on May 6 ED had arrested Anwar Dhebar, brother of the senior Congress chief and Raipur Mayor Ezaj Dhebhar and claimed that Anwar was the essential kingpin on the floor in which round Rs 2000 crore was illegally generated by the legal syndicate. Other than Anwar, ED had additionally arrested lodge promoter Nitish Purohit and liquor dealer Triloki Singh Dhillon alias Pappu Dhillon alongside seizing proceeds of crime value Rs 28 crore. The central company in its submission earlier than the courtroom, had alleged that Purohit, promoter of a Raipur-based Giriraj lodge, was nicely conscious of the unlawful operations of Anwar Dhebar and had willingly assisted him in the actions of proceeds of Crime to IAS Anil Tuteja, one other kingpin of the rip-off together with Anwar.
The financial intelligence company of the central authorities has to date additionally hooked up 119 immovable property value Rs 121.87 crore of Anwar Dhebar, Anil Tuteja, Arunpati Tripathi and others in reference to the multi-crore liquor rip-off of Chhattisgarh on May 22 this 12 months. The whole property hooked up or seized to date in the alleged state rip-off stand at roughly Rs180 crore.
Earlier the apex courtroom whereas listening to a petition of one in all the accused in the case had stayed the ED probe into the matter and mentioned that there must be no coercive motion in opposition to the officers and if the company desires to renew motion they’ve to hunt permission of the courtroom following which the deputy director of ED’s Raipur unit approached the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police to provoke a probe into the irregularities by ‘Prizm Holography Security Films Private limited’.
After the ED’s grievance UP police lodged a case below Kasna police station in opposition to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Anil Tuteja, Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer and a particular secretary in the excise division, Arunpati Tripathi, IAS and excise commissioner Niranjan Das, a businessman Vidhu Gupta together with Anwar Dhebar on July 30 this 12 months.
Allegation of Nepotism in CGPSC
Another critical cost that BJP labeled in opposition to the Congress authorities is alleged nepotism in Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) examination 2021, whose outcomes had been declared in April this 12 months. The declaration of the record of profitable candidates stirred an argument as BJP claimed fraud in choice of the candidates. The record contains kin of some Congress leaders, senior bureaucrats together with seasoned businessmen. The record additionally contains one ‘Nitesh’ whose surname has additionally been saved hidden; he’s mentioned to be the adopted son of the Commission’s Chairman, Tamam Sonwani.
Later on, a viral nameless put up by an unknown CGPSC aspirant stormed the state’s political galleries after the aspirants made critical allegations on the choice technique of the candidates and claimed that a few drug addicts additionally bought chosen in the examination following which BJYM (youth wing of BJP) Chhattisgarh demanded that the 2021 PSC Examination must be re-conducted and a high-level committee ought to examine the 2021 PSC examination. They additionally sought speedy suspension of the PSC chairman, secretary and examination controller.
The matter escalated additional after the state’s PSC issued a notification for disposal of outdated irrelevant query papers and OMR sheets used in the earlier years examinations triggering one other protest from the BJP leaders who alleged that the notification issued by the CGPSC is nothing however a determined transfer of the chairman to return clear on the data who can also be awaiting his retirement in the coming months.
The coal extortion rip-off
Another alleged rip-off that allegedly flourished in the state is Rs 540 crore coal rip-off, which includes a distinguished businessman with heavy political backing, Suryakant Tiwari. According to the investigation of ED, Tiwari ran a cartel with backing from just a few politicians and senior authorities officers similar to Saumya Chaurasiya, former deputy secretary of CM Bhupesh Baghel and Sameer Bishnoi IAS to gather levy from the coal transporters and businessmen.
The ED investigation revealed that the amendments made to induce a compulsory no objection certificates (NOC) by the district Justice of the Peace for the coal transporters led Suryakant to easily function the extortion racket. The federal company claimed that an extortion cash of Rs 25 per metric ton was fastened for the transporters and coal businessmen to get the NOC. The extorted quantity later bought distributed amongst politicians and authorities officers; the ED investigation additionally highlighted irregularities in issuing NOC by the involved authorities.
So far, the ED has arrested as many as 9 accused, together with the kingpin Suryakant Tiwari, his uncle Lakshmikant Tiwari, Sameer Vishnoi IAS, mining officer Shivshankar Nag, businessman Sunil Agarwal and others in the alleged rip-off. The federal company has additionally hooked up property value roughly Rs 220 crore of Ms Ranu Sahu IAS, Suryakant Tiwari, Devendra Yadav MLA, Chandreshwar Prasad Rai MLA and others in the case.
Gothaan, cow dung and PDS scams
The subsequent in line was the alleged scams that allegedly occurred in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the flagship Gothaan scheme launched by the Baghel led authorities. Slamming the incumbent authorities for wide-scale irregularities and corruption in the PDS, the BJP has claimed {that a} rip-off value Rs 600 crore has occurred alone in the distribution of rice from the government-owned retailers.
The celebration has additionally alleged that Rs 10 lakhs being collected from every distributor for not carrying a inventory verification. BJP has additional alleged that earlier there was a system to watch and handle the information on an internet portal, however at the moment there is no such thing as a info obtainable pertaining to the distributed inventory as the on-line monitoring system was closed by the Congress authorities in 2022. The celebration claimed that in its inner enquiry, irregularities have been discovered in a complete of 13301 retailers.
Similarly, the saffron celebration has additionally alleged that the flagship Gothaan scheme launched by the authorities has turned out to be one other such scheme the place wide-scale corruption has occurred. Recently, the celebration leaders have additionally alleged that even the data of the Congress authorities pertaining to cow-dung buy just isn’t correct and a whopping determine of Rs 229 crore is lacking.
Though replying to the question of the BJP chief, senior Congress chief and minister Tamradhwaj Sahu mentioned that the figures pertaining to cow-dung buy are correct and no corruption has taken place in the scheme.
CM Baghel alleged ED actions politically motivated
Apart from the above-mentioned alleged schemes, the incumbent state authorities has additionally been on the receiving finish for points pertaining to poor high quality of vermicompost being forcibly distributed to the farmers, the Mahadev app for betting and wide-scale conversion in the tribal-dominated areas of the State.
Despite allegations in opposition to the authorities, CM Bhupesh Baghel is defending his authorities and alleging the central authorities of vendetta politics. Recently, addressing a press convention in Delhi CM Baghel mentioned that the federal companies are claiming {that a} rip-off value Rs 2168 crore had flourished, nevertheless regardless of persistent raids by ED and Income Tax (IT) since 2020 the companies have solely hooked up properties round Rs 200 crore that too features a few ancestral properties.
Same is the story of the alleged coal rip-off the place the company had claimed that Rs 500 crore had been illegally generated nevertheless, once more the companies have solely seized properties value Rs 150 crore. They are going after my shut associates. It looks as if the BJP won’t contest the state elections however IT and ED will.
They are torturing folks and threatening to place them in jail in the event that they don’t cooperate; there’s an environment of concern, and it’s now the duty of the courts to intervene and look into this. There is one thing widespread in all these so-called scams that those that might be the greatest beneficiaries have to date not been touched, concluded CM Baghel.
Now amid this ongoing tug of conflict, which is being escalated by every passing day, the state will maintain its meeting elections in November, the place the two events will lock horns for 90 seats of the tribal-dominated state. As of now, whereas the BJP is hoping to return to energy after a five-year drought on the foundation of the alleged corruption of multi-crore together with the points pertaining to conversion and surge in Maoist violence, the Congress celebration, on the different hand, would have a troublesome process forward to woo the voters in their favor to return to the energy.
In their pursuit for a comeback in addition they should guarantee the Vanvasi group, a bit of whom has been upset by the dealing with of communal flare-ups occurred between the native Vanvasis and the newly transformed Christians early this 12 months. Another headache for the Bhupesh Baghel led celebration is to fill the sneakers of two instances former union minister Arvind Netam who not too long ago stop the grand outdated celebration alleging that the celebration is overlooking the unique constitutional rights offered by Baba Saheb Ambedkar to the Vanvasi (Adivasi) group. Therefore, there is no such thing as a doubt that the highway forward for Congress wouldn’t be a straightforward one, and solely time will reveal whether or not the grand outdated celebration secures its comeback in the land of Vanvasis.
