Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today announced that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and he would henceforth meet every two months. Emerging satisfied from a meeting with the CM on the alleged MNREGS scam in the state,Ramesh said that while he was a political adversary of the SP,Akhilesh and he would work in tandem on rural development. He said that his attempts to meet the chief minister of UP over the scam had borne fruit after 10 months. Leave aside the CM,even no minister from UP met me. I requested even MPs from UP to give my message to (former CM) Mayawati,but in vain. I had asked Akhilesh after he assumed power as UP is a special state with challenges on the rural development front. I am happy that a door has now opened. In his meeting with Akhilesh,Ramesh reiterated the demand for a CBI probe into the alleged MNREGA scam in Gonda,Balrampur and Sonbhadra. Akhilesh said he would get back in two weeks. Ramesh said a probe was needed though he couldnt tell the exact amount that had been siphoned off.
