Horticulture official alleges scam in dept

“There is an open financial fraud in subsidies for farmers and awarding of contracts. Seeds are being purchased by the directorate without inviting tenders. In around 30 districts,lower rank officers are posted as District Horticulture Officer’’,said Pandey,a PCS officer,who has requested the Governor that his letter be treated as resignation.

Horticulture Minister Singh said Pandey was making false charges because departmental inquiries were under way against him on corruption charges and it had also been decided to recover Rs 16,500 from him.

The minister further said,“Around three months ago,Pandey was transferred to Bhadoi but he has not joined. Against the transfer order,Pandey had moved the high court but he did not get any relief.’’ The directorate had relieved him in August.

Recently,the minister was given the clean chit by the Lokayukta in a corruption case in which an industrialist had accused the minister and his son Veeru Suman,a BSP MLC,of land grabbing through a firm where they are “sleeping partners”.

Pandey claimed he had been highlighting corruption and irregularities in the department since 2005,but government had never taken action. He said he had informed the government and minister regularly about such activities.

“In June,I sent a letter to the minister and briefed him about the corrupt practices prevailing in the department. Instead of taking action to stop this,I was threatened and asked to be silent’’,Pandey said.

He said that as recently as November 20,he had sent a letter to the principal secretary of Horticulture and Food Processing,giving details about corruption in the department. He marked copies to the Chief Minister,the minister of Horticulture,the Chief Secretary,the Agricultural Production Commissioner and the director of Horticulture and Food Processing.