GUWAHATI, Sept 3 � Alleging that the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress Government was abetting unprecedented corruption in the State, the BJP, Assam Pradesh today demanded a CBI probe into the large-scale financial anomalies in the Irrigation Department.
In a statement, the BJP said that the latest incident in which the Irrigation Minister Dr Ardhendu Dey alleged that a file pertaining to an inquiry into the corruption charges against Enamul Haque � current MLA and a former official of the Irrigation Department � was lying with the Chief Minister made it clear the goings on in the Government.
�Since the matter of corruption has resulted in a clash between the Chief Minister and one of his cabinet colleagues, a CBI inquiry alone would establish which of the two has spoken the truth,� it said.
The BJP said that widespread corruption in the Irrigation Department at a time when the farmers of the State were languishing was proof enough that the Congress Government had absolutely no responsibility towards the toiling peasants.
�We consider the statement of the present Irrigation Minister made in connection with the Rs 270-crore scam in the department as significant, and a CBI inquiry is needed to get to the roots of the matter,� it said.
Questioning why the Government was dithering on taking action on a corrupt official, the BJP said that ironically the Congress rewarded the official by giving him the party ticket to contest from the Sonai Assembly constituency.
�It speaks volumes about the commitment of the Congress to fight corruption. Instead of punishing a corrupt official, it chooses to reward him by giving him the party ticket to contest elections,� it said.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), too, has reacted strongly to the developments and alleged that Haque�s corruption apparently had the endorsement of the Chief Minister because the latter�s utterances at the press conference on Friday on the issue was childish and far from convincing.
�It remains to be seen how the Chief Minister expedites the inquiry against a corrupt officer after his Cabinet colleague, the Irrigation Minister himself made a serious allegation,� the KMSS said in a statement.
