Several scamsters of NH 74 allegedly flee abroad

Several scamsters of NH 74 Uttarakhand, fled abroad says the news pouring in
In a shocking revelation in Navoday Times, a publication of Punjab Kesari, Uttarakhand edition about twelve scamsters involved in the dubious activities of embezzlement of crores of rupees in the much hyped and serious NH 74 Highway scam worth more than three hundred crores are missing from their respective houses having locks and not even traceable in Punjab from where they actually belong.

According to the special investigating team (SIT) probing this over publicised and hyped scandal in the print and electronics media, all the twelve absconding officials must have fled abroad fearing arrest. There are indications that some powerful political lobby is behind this entire episode who must have helped them elope out of India in a systematic manner fearing further exposure, particularly the powerful ones. It may be recalled that this massive scam (NH 74) started during the previous tenure when the current government wasn’t in power and the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat recommended for the CBI inquiry but the union minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari send a written communication to Rawat asking him withdraw his demand as the inquiry would hamper the excecution of the high way work that’s in full swing and would also degrade and degenerate the morale and working spirit of the NHAI officials.

The enquiry was therefore accorded to SIT which has so far arrested several officials involved in the scam including several SDMs. The matter acknowledged tremendous media hype with stories about the central govt not allowing the CBI enquiry. The leaking of the letter of the union Minister Gadkari written to CM asking the latter to retract from the CBI enquiry in the NH 74 Scam, created furore in the media and political circles, particularly in the BJP’s political corridors.

It may be recalled that during the tenure of the former chief minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat and even prior to him, during Vijay Bahuguna’s time, in Rudrapur, before the construction of the NH 74 the character of the land for hefty financial compensation had been clandestinely and arbitrarily changed in government records causing a huge loss to the public exchequer to the tune of more than 300 crores. This huge scandal was exposed when the election commission announced the dates of state elections 9 months ago from now. However, on the directives of the then chief secretary of Uttarakhand, the then commissioner of Kumaon Division Mr. Sainthil Pandiyan on 10th March 2017 got the FIRs registered against some officials under several sections of fraud, deceit, embezzelment of the govt money, 420 etc. An officer with impeccable integrity, the then Kumaon Commissioner Senthil has since been transferred.

In the scandal several SDMs and lower level officials under the blessings of some higher ups and politicians changed the character pf the agricultural land into the commercial land and siphoned off a massive amount from the government’s treasury.
SUNIL NEGI