Lokayukta summons UP minister, three SP legislators

Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta Justice N.K. Mehrotra has issued summons to four legislators of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), including a state minister, with regard to allottment of work to a defunct non-government organisation.

According to information available, the Lokayukta has asked the Minister of State for Agriculture Manoj Kumar Pandey to present himself before it June 10, and explain why work was allotted to an NGO from his legislator's fund when the NGO ceased to exist in 2011.

Notices have also been issued to SP legislators Ram Lal Akela, Devendra Pratap Singh and Surendra Vikram Singh.

This is the first time that members of the ruling dispensation have come under the radar of the Lokayukta. In his previous tenure, the ombundsman had given adverse reports on many ministers of the Mayawati government, after which the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo was forced to sack several ministers.

The Lokayukta said Wednesday that the papers pertaining to giving away work to the State Construction and Development Federation (SCDF) had been put under scrutiny and a decision to summon the SP legislators for questioning have been sent after that.

While Agriculture Minister Manoj Kumar Pandey and SP legislator Ram Lal Akela have been asked to present themselves before the Lokayukta June 10, the other two, Surendra Vikram Singh and Devendra Pratap Singh, have been sent summons for June 11.