Two letters allege corruption in Uttar Pradesh government

Latest letter requests chief minister Yogi Adityanath to order a 'high-level inquiry'

Yogi Adityanath.:  File photo

Piyush Srivastava   |   TT  |  Lucknow   |   24.07.22  : Copies of two letters, one attributed to a state BJP minister and the other to a party lawmaker, alleging corruption in the Uttar Pradesh government created some excitement on social media this week.

The latest letter, circulated on Saturday, alleges “deep corruption” in the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and requests chief minister Yogi Adityanath to order a “high-level inquiry”.

Ravi Shankar Singh alias Pappu Bhaiyya, a BJP member of the legislative council to whom the letter has been attributed, has refused comment.

However, an LDA official has told the media on the condition of anonymity that Singh had wanted the agency to “do some illegal work” and complained to the chief minister when his orders were ignored.

Earlier this week, social media was agog with a letter, written purportedly by junior Jal Shakti minister Dinesh Khatik to Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, saying he was resigning.

The letter said the writer’s complaints about corruption in the Jal Shakti department had been ignored and that the state government had little concern for Dalits or respect for Dalit ministers like him.

However, Khatik was called to Delhi and had a meeting with Shah. He later met Adityanath in Lucknow and told reporters that all was well. Khatik has neither denied nor confirmed he wrote the letter to Shah.

The letter attributed to Singh says “I have been informed there is deep corruption in the LDA”, which functions under the urban development department, helmed by minister A.K. Sharma. It names a senior official in the LDA and adds: “Much against the intention of the government, he (the official) is collecting bribes from the people. I would be obliged if he is transferred to some other place and a high-level probe is ordered against him,” the letter, written in Hindi and dated July 6, says.