More trouble brewing for N D Tiwari

Even after tendering his resignation for his alleged involvement in a sex scandal, troubles for former Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari may not be over.

The veteran Congress leader, faces a few more controversies in his home state, Uttarakhand, of which he was the first elected chief minister. Some leading non-government organisations (NGOs) are now planning to move the high court against him for showing extra benevolence in distributing freebies like land and money to several women, politicians and business houses. It is an open secret that some top industrialists got prime land at Pantnagar, Sitarganj and Haridwar industrial estates at throwaway prices during his rule, the NGOs claim.

These NGOs including Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) are planning to move the High Court to get back various assets especially prime land to various business houses and politicians.

“We will move the high court for getting back the assets Tiwari may have distributed during his rule,” said Avadash Kaushal, who is heading RLEK. Kaushal, along with scores of women, today demonstrated in front of Tiwari’s house here and sought his eviction.

Supporting the move, Anil Joshi, who is heading HESCO, an NGO working for the welfare of the Himalayan region, said all the scandals during the Tiwari’s tenure in Uttarakhand should be probed. Tiwari is also accused of distributing ministerial-level posts to nearly 300 politicians. And of using his discretionary fund which caused enormous loss to the state exchequer.

There is also the issue of allocating 76 government-owned horticulture gardens almost free of cost, part of the alleged acts of the former Tiwari government, which are now being probed by the BJP government. “We will now try to speed up these probes,” said a top government official.