Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Chavda has made stunning allegations against Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani accusing her of misappropriating funds received under MPLAD scheme.
In a series of tweets, Chavda also produced a letter of Anand’s District Magistrate in Gujarat asking for the refund of Rs 4.8 crore from the minister, who’s a Rajya Sabha MP.
Chavda wrote, “@smritiirani adopted Maghrol in Anand District to make it a “model village” & She did a stupendous job of making it as a model for the corruption and blatant misuse of the power. – She misappropriated fund received under her MPLAD scheme. SmritiIrani illegally used her MPLAD fund in violation of the guidelines for their use. Moreover @SmritiIrani and her staff insisted and coerced official into to awarding contracts to one Sharda Majoor Kamdar Sahkari Mandli…”
Chavda, who was appointed the state head of Congress post Gujarat assembly polls, said that ‘this also violated the norm that contracts worth more than Rs 50 lakh cannot be awarded to one group under the MPLAD scheme.”
He wrote, “This cooperative got work contracts worth many times above prescribed limit…During inspection in the month of June 2017 it had also come to fore that work was not upto the mark. And also there was discrepancy between the estimates and the actual cost. Also, Even though in many cases projects were never completed, but full money was paid to this shady cooperative & money kept flowing to them.”
The Congress leader also said that he had filed a PIL in Guajrat High Court in July 2017 adding that he had also had bought ‘this gross misappropriation of power and funds’ to the light. His concluding tweet informed that the Anand District Collector had issued order to Irani’s proxy, Sharda Majoor Kamdar Sahkari Mandli to repay Rs 4.8 Cr at the earliest with 18% annual interest.” He wrote, “Satyamev Jayate! (Truth prevails).”
Today I am happy to note that, Anand District Collector has issued order to the @SmritiIrani‘s proxy, Sharda Majoor Kamdar Sahkari Mandli to repay ₹4.8 Cr at the earliest with 18% annual interest! Satyamev Jayate! 6/6 pic.twitter.com/gTzNajrTwd
— Amit Chavda (@AmitChavdaINC) June 2, 2018
Although a prolific social media user, Irani has not commented on the stunning tweets posted by Chavda either to deny or confirm the serious allegations of corruption. Meanwhile, State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani was quoted by Indian Express that the grant was approved by an MP and it was implemented by district administration.