Irregularities in project by his own BJP govt flagged by Rajasthan minister

Jaipur: Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena has written a letter to Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, which could cause a rift in the state government, alleging irregularities in a multi-story housing project that the state's General Administration Department is moving forward with even without Cabinet approval, potentially resulting in a loss of Rs 1,146 crore to the exchequer.

Six multi-story buildings will be constructed as part of the project in the Gandhinagar neighbourhood of Jaipur's Old MREC Campus, home to a number of high-ranking government officials. Two of the six towers will be sold to private buyers, while the remaining four will be for government housing.

“Under the master plan, there is no provision of 18-19 storey buildings here. Commercial use is also not allowed here as per the rules. However, illegal means have been used to make this project happen,” Meena said in his letter to the CM dated May 14, Indian Express reported.

“Some officers/people are going to make black money worth crores of rupees by colluding with REDCC (Real Estate Development and Construction Corporation of Rajasthan Limited). It is necessary to pay timely attention to ensure that the government does not lose about Rs 1,146 crore,” he wrote.

He pointed out to the CM that “neither the present Finance Minister, nor the Cabinet, nor you are supporting this project. Yet, work on it has begun… Notices for eviction of government houses have been issued without approval.”

In addition, he said that the project has been undervalued and that this might cause the government to suffer a substantial loss. He asked for an inquiry to be made into the matter. Meena frequently made headlines when he was in the Opposition because of his demonstrations against the state's Ashok Gehlot-led Congress administration. He last made headlines as a state cabinet minister when he declared he would work to have the hijab outlawed in all public and private schools in Rajasthan.

Currently, he is in charge of the following portfolios: Redressal of Public Litigation, Disaster Management and Relief, Agriculture and Horticulture, and Rural Development. He is just below the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers, Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa, in the government hierarchy. The 72-year-old, who was a Rajya Sabha MP at the time, made headlines throughout the five years of the previous Gehlot government for his frequent protests. He hit the streets more frequently than many of his party colleagues and became an almost parallel force in the Rajasthan BJP.