Bhati commission faces an uphill task

With only two-three months left, K L Bhati, a retired IAS officer, is facing an uphill task to complete an inquiry in the alleged scandals of the former BJP government by October-November.

After initial hiccups related to the notification, Bhati recently got office and began the inquiry on what is being described as “loot of Uttarakhand” by the ruling Congress.

Bhati has already issued notices to several departments like PWD and irrigation on the mahakumbh scam where the central funds from a grant of Rs 500-600 crore were allegedly misused and misappropriated. Bhati has also visited Haridwar to study the ground reality.

Top Congress leaders and state chief minister Vijay Bahuguna have asserted that the Bhati commission would complete its report by October-November.

But, sources said it would not be possible to complete the inquiry by November this year. “In the previous occasions, various commissions took years to submit reports. How can you expect the Bhati commission to give report in such a short time?,” said a government official. Nevertheless, the commission would try to submit the report as early as possible, the official added.

Congress general secretary and incharge of the state’s party affairs, Chaudhary Birendra Singh, recently stated that the government would initiate legal action against the guilty after the completion of the inquiry report.

“Those who have looted Uttarakhand should not go scot-free,” Chaudhary said.

In April this year, Bahuguna set up the one-man inquiry commission headed by Bhati to probe a series of scandals that rocked during the BJP government which also led to the change of guard in September last year.

The commission is probing alleged irregularities in allotment of 56 hydropower projects, Citurgia housing project, maha kumbh mela and various other projects during the tenure of former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank which also forced the BJP high command to go for a change of guard in September last year, just few months before the assembly elections.