Scandals surfaced in many departments of the Chhattisgarh government: Amit Shah

Raipur: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday announced that BJP, if returned to power in Chhattisgarh in the ensuing assembly elections, would institute a commission of inquiry to probe the ‘scandals’ in the Bhupesh Baghel government.

Addressing an election meeting in Kabirdham in Chhattisgarh, Mr Shah said that the five-year-rule of Congress in the state was steeped in mega scams and scandals.

He said that scandals surfaced in many departments of the state government, earning Mr Baghel the tag, "30 taaka (30 percent commission) , Bhupesh kaka (uncle)".

Even a major scandal happened in the cow dung scheme launched by the state government, he said.

I have never seen a person who can think of doing corruption in a scheme involving cow dung", he said.

Under the scheme, the state government procures cow dung at Rs 2 a kilo from the cattle owning farmers and gives them to the women self-help groups (SHGs) to prepare bio-compost.

Mr Shah said that a scandal of Rs 1,300 crore was reported in the scheme.

Mr Shah accused Mr Baghel of turning Chhattisgarh into an ‘ATM’ of Congress and alleged that the latter siphoned off the public money to fill the coffers of the Congress in Delhi.

"Can a party, which has a goal of looting public money, will serve the state?" he



asked.

He also indicated the role of chief minister’s office (CMO) in the online gaming Mahadev App, proceeds of which had allegedly gone to several influential officers and politicians in the state.

"BJP, if voted to power in Chhattisgarh, will set up a commission of inquiry into all the scandals and scams of Bhupesh Baghel government and recover every pie from the people involved in corruption", he said.

Mr Shah said that the Centre had procured 93 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from Chhattisgarh.

The state government had procured paddy from the farmers at Rs 2,700 .

The Centre had lifted the paddy from the state by paying Rs 2,200 per quintal (minimum support price of paddy), he said and slammed Mr Baghel for claiming that his government was bearing the entire cost of paddy purchased from the farmers.

Mr Shah also said that the government machinery was misused for religious conversion of tribals in Chhattisgarh, vitiating the situation in many villages and homes in the tribal belt in the state.

He claimed that Congress would face a debacle in Chhattisgarh in the ensuing assembly elections, denying Mr Baghel to retain his position.

"Mr Baghel is a pre-paid CM like a pre-paid SIM (subscriber identity module). His rule is going to expire (very soon)", Mr Shah said.