Beware of corrupt babus, APW tells Sonowal

Chief Secretary has been sitting on a letter for two months seeking prosecution sanction against 3 top Agriculture officials, says Aabhijit Sarma


By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 30: The Assam Public Works (APW) has appealed to the new BJP-led State government not to let its initial good works like dismantling check gates and paying sudden visits to offices to be mere gimmicks, but to do something tangible for the wellbeing of the State and its people.

Talking to newsmen in the city today, APW president Aabhijit Sarma said: "Soon after taking charge as Agriculture minister, AGP president Atul Bora made an announcement that cases of corruption during the 15 years of Congress rule in the department will be probed."

Sarma said a case is underway in a special court against three top officials of the Agriculture department - Agriculture Director Kabindra Borkakati, Mazam Ali Akonda and Upen Bora.

"A letter has already been sent to Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia in this regard seeking prosecution sanction against the trio. The Chief Secretary, however, has been sitting on the letter for the past two months," Sarma said.  He appealed to the new Agriculture minister to question the Chief Secretary on this issue.

"This is not all. The trio against whom a case has been underway, as well as other officials - Kailash Chandra Talukdar, Timothi Das Hanse and Amlan Baruah, who were allegedly involved in the Rs 3,000-crore scam during the tenures of Nilomoni Sen Deka and Rakibul Hussain as Agriculture ministers - are in the very office from which the new minister is functioning. If this pack of bureaucrats is not removed from there, there's every possibility of a rerun of the corruption that took place in the past 15 years," the APW president said.

Sarma further said that another case regarding a Rs 700-crore RKVY, BGERI scam was registered with the CID on September 1, 2014 when present DGP Mukesh Sahay was the ADGP of the CID. "In the past two years, Sahay has done precious little on the case for reasons best known to him," he said.

The APW president said that soon after assuming charge as Chief Minister, Sarbanda Sonowal issued his first order to dismantle check gates, a step that has led to drastic fall in the carrying charge of goods by trucks. But the move is yet to translate into lower prices of goods in the markets. "Even after six days of the order, the prices of essential commodities haven't come down as yet. We're here to keep a watch on the activities of the government in the State being led by Sonowal. If we notice any corruption or irregularities, we'll move the Sangh, the Prime Minister, the tiol president of the BJP, the court, the media, social media and even resort to postering with evidence," the APW cautioned.

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com