Uttarakhand firm returns ₹2cr to govt amid political storm over corruption
The issue of the unauthorised payment has become a big political controversy in Uttarakhand, with the labour department minister, Harak Singh Rawat, being at the centre of the political storm.
Amid the ongoing audit of the Uttarakhand Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board after allegations of irregularities, a private construction company has returned ₹2 crore to the government on Friday, said officials.
The company had received ₹20 crore for a construction project without any financial and administrative permission for the same from the government. After the matter came to light, the government had asked the company to return the amount, following which, it returned ₹18 crore out of the total ₹20 cr. It had stated that the remaining ₹2 crore had been incurred in various expenses.
In a statement released by the state secretariat on Friday evening, it was revealed that the company has returned the remaining amount after the government warned it of punitive action in December.
The issue of the unauthorised payment has become a big political controversy in Uttarakhand, with the labour department minister, Harak Singh Rawat, being at the centre of the political storm. The Opposition Congress has alleged that the BJP led government is involved in ‘rampant corruption’ in the board.
