Chhattisgarh would enact a law to confiscate the properties of the government employees involved in shady deals.
"The state government is mooting a plan to bring legislation in the legislative assembly and enact a law that will enable the authorities to seize the properties of the corrupt employees," Chief Minister Raman Singh said. He was speaking on the admissibility of an adjournment motion in the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly today.
The Opposition, Congress, moved the adjournment motion demanding immediate discussion on anti-corruption bureau (ACB) raid in the office of state-run Chhattisgarh Food and Civil Supplies Corporation on February 12. During the raid, the ACB seized Rs 3.64 crore, from the office, that was reportedly kept unaccounted.
"The money was amassed through unfair practices as the corporation did not have any form of cash transaction," Leader of Opposition T S Singhdeo said. The issue was beyond corruption and hence the state government should order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe to bring out the facts related to the issue, he added. Singhdeo said there was vast corruption in the working of corporation in procuring foodgrains, milling rice and transportation. "The state was denied a subsidy of over Rs 760 crore as the corporation failed to submit the audited account details that underlined the unfair practices in the office," he added. Earlier, senior Congress legislators Bhupesh Baghel, Satyanarayan Sharma and others charged that the state government was giving shelter to the big fishes involved in corruption. They said the diary seized by the ACB team mentioned the names of cash beneficiaries. The state government should table the diary in the legislative assembly, they added.
Chief minister said the Opposition had been criticising the state government that has taken a bold step to raid its own establishment and expose corruption. He said this was just the beginning and more action would come as the state government would deal corruption with firm hands.
State's food and civil supplies minister Punnulal Mohile, while replying to the motion that Speaker Gourishankar Agrawal rejected later, said the state government had terminated two employees and placed 18 others under suspension in connection with the case.
