Uttarakhand: Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya’s allegations – Not only Director Babeja, but also state government and BJP MLAs and leaders are involved in garden scams
The Leader of Opposition said that by the High Court handing over the investigation of the garden scams that have been going on in Uttarakhand for years to the CBI, it has been proved that everyone is taking a dip in the Ganga of corruption in Uttarakhand. The Leader of Opposition said that, in this case, the order of the Honorable High Court has mentioned the dubious role of all levels of government and governance. On the orders of the High Court, the ruling party issuing the certificate of Ranikhet MLA planting fake trees in his alleged garden proves that not only Director Babeja is involved in the garden scams of the state but also the MLAs and leaders of the state government and BJP. are included. After being named in this order, the State Horticulture Minister and Ranikhet MLA should resign on moral grounds.
Yashpal Arya alleged that the state government is also a partner in every corruption happening in the state, hence the state officials and investigating agencies are giving protection to the corrupt officials and are not conducting proper investigation against them. He made it clear that the state officials and the SIT have proved ineffective in the investigation, hence this year the High Court has handed over the investigation of three scams related to Uttarakhand, including the investigation of the garden scam, to the CBI.
The Leader of Opposition said that Babeja, the officer convicted in the vigilance investigation in Himachal, was made the director of an important department like horticulture in Uttarakhand only because he had expertise in committing scams. Dr. Harminder Singh Baweja, Director, Uttarakhand Horticulture and Food Processing Department, in violation of the Uttarakhand Fruit Nurseries (Exchange) Act – 2019, found one such fake nursery in Uttarkashi – “Anika Traders and Nurseries” – for supplying winter plants to the entire state. Who did not have any land in the state. On receiving the complaint, the District Officer of Uttarkashi got the matter investigated and all the complaints were found to be true and the investigation report was sent to the government. Since this work of supply of saplings was being given for the entire state, corruption was not happening only at the hands of the District Horticulture Officer, Uttarkashi. The real author of this script of corruption was the Director of the Horticulture Department and someone else above him who was embezzling crores of rupees without any fear from the officials. Even after the report of District Officer Uttarkashi, the government neither conducted any investigation nor took any action.
Yashpal Arya said that even before this, to benefit his favorite nurseries, Babeja had increased the prices of plants ranging from Kiwi to fruit and vegetable species many times against the rules and tradition. Before the last assembly elections, the director embezzled crores of rupees by calling his wife and some of his close friends to Uttarakhand in the name of international seminars.
The Leader of Opposition said that the opposition raised all these matters everywhere but the government showed laxity and did not conduct any investigation. Some social workers and gardeners were forced to approach the High Court.
Yashpal Arya alleged that, considering the seriousness of the matter, the High Court had already proposed to hand over the investigation of all the scams related to the park to the CBI, but even before that the state government had issued a notification for the investigation by the SIT of the state police. This step was also taken by the state government to save corrupt leaders and officials.
The Leader of Opposition said that the High Court’s order for CBI investigation has exposed the reality of the “zero corruption model” of the state government. Every line of decision is proving that the BJP government of the state and its officials are deeply immersed in corruption.
