Lucknow, August 17: In a blow to the Mayawati government, UP Lokayukta N K Mehrotra on Tuesday recommended dismissal of UP minister for dairy and animal husbandry Awadhpal Singh Yadav after finding him guilty of largescale corruption and misuse of office for extending favour to his kin. This is the state's first case where dismissal has been recommended on charges of corruption by the Lokayukta.
"The conduct of Awadhpal Singh Yadav is highly mischievous and not in accordance with the oath taken by him under the Constitution for his ministerial office," the Lokayukta said in his report prepared after a sustained inquiry into charges of corruption against the minister during the last five months. The Lokayukta recommended to chief minister Mayawati that the minister should be dismissed forthwith without wasting any time.
The minister is also accused in a case of triple murder in which the court had only recently ordered the police to file a case against him. The Lokayukta has also recommended stern action against Eath SSP Laxami Narain, circle officer and a police inspector for giving misleading information about the minister's conduct.
This is besides the action recommended against the lekhpal and tehsildar for fudging revenue records in order to grant the minister illegal possession of gram samaj land and summary transfer of the Eath DM and his subordinates, including SDM and tehsildar, for their inaction in checking the land-grabbing by the minister.
Further, holding the minister guilty of land-grabbing, the Lokayukta has recommended that cases should be filed against him under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for misusing his office to favour his near and dear ones and under Section 122B of the UP ZALR Act for illegal possession of gram samaj land. Recovery of compensation from the minister has also been ordered.
When asked about the fate of his recommendation, the Lokayukta said: "I have done my job and I am sure that chief minister will certainly take note of the recommendation." Legally, Lokayukta's recommendations are advisory, though they carry the force of the Constitution. PTI
