ITANAGAR : Former Arunachal Chief Minister and lone Congress legislator in Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Nabam Tuki today demanded CBI investigation on the allegations of graft charges against Union Minister Kiren Rijjiju in construction of power project in the frontier state.
The Chief Vigilance Officer of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) had alleged that the Minister of State for Home, Kiren, his cousin Goboi Rijiju ? a contractor in Arunachal Pradesh ? and several top officials of NEEPCO are involved in a multi-crore scam in the construction of two dams for 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric Project, one of the biggest hydro-electric projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
“CVO has clearly named in the report. It is clear that he is involved in the scam. Government should immediately constitute an inquiry team to look into the matter and find out the truth,” Mr Tuki told UNI, who is also the lone Congress legislator in the 60-member assembly, as all 43 Congress MLA’s joined People Party of Arunachal (PPA) to form the first non-Congress government in the state in October this year with outside support of BJP.
Alleging that “inflated” bills were put up for bringing boulders for the dam construction, Mr Tuki said some of the huge boulders were shown to be carried on scooters, motorcyles and cars by a single driver at the same time.
“Minister should have resigned by now and make way for an independent probe. If he has nothing to hide why he is getting worried,” Mr Tuki said.
Springing to the defence of Mr Kiren, the Power Ministry has said payments to a contractor of power plant in Arunachal Pradesh were released even before the minister forwarded a representation for the same.
Dubbing allegations that the minister used his influence to clear bills as “unsubstantiated, false and baseless”, the ministry said vigilance officer S C Verma, who alleged corruption in the construction of two dams for NEEPCO’s 600 MW Kameng Hydro Electric Project in Arunachal Pradesh, had himself authorised the release of substantial payments to the contractor. (AGENCIES)
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