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UP minister alleges violation in buying seeds

Last Updated 18 February 2013, 20:14 IST

In what could be a serious embarrassment for Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, a junior minister of his cabinet has accused his senior of graft and demanded a thorough probe.

Minister of state for agriculture Rajiv Kumar Singh has, in a letter to the chief minister, charged Anand Singh, the cabinet rank minister of his portfolio, with graft in the purchase of seeds in violation of rules.

The MoS has alleged that Anand Singh had caused huge loss to the state exchequer by sanctioning purchase of seeds by the state-owned Uttar Pradesh Seeds Development Corporation at inflated rates bypassing rules.

He alleged that the orders for procuring the seeds were given to the agencies, which did not produce the seeds but buy them from outside sources. The government had, the junior minister said, decided to purchase seeds only from the agencies that produced the seeds.

Anand Singh, on the other hand, refuted the allegations and said that he was ready to face any probe. “There has been no irregularity in the purchase of seeds'', he asserted.
The allegation has given the opposition much needed ammunition to attack the Samajwadi Party government in the on-going Assembly session.

“It is a serious issue...a junior minister has made the allegations and they must be probed'', state congress leader Ashok Singh said here.

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(Published 18 February 2013, 20:14 IST)

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