There seems to be serious trouble brewing in the Akhilesh government as differences between chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior minister Mohammed Azam Khan are reaching a flashpoint.
Mr Khan has fired yet another salvo by ceasing to take up any work in the urban development ministry that he heads.
The minister’s office has asked all officers in this ministry not to send any files for the minister’s consideration and the pending files have also been duly returned.
A letter sent to the principal secretary, urban development ministry, by Mr Khan’s personal assistant reportedly says that until indiscipline prevails in the ministry it would not be possible for the minister to attend to any files.
The letter, which has created a flutter in government circles, comes two days after the minister called off a departmental meeting because the principal secretary and the secretary were not present.
The minister had angrily said that he would not tolerate any indiscipline at any level and had also remarked that he was helpless in certain matters because he was not empowered to take action against erring officials.
***
CBI likely to book 4 c’garh, 2 j’khand firms
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, Aug. 30
The CBI is likely to book four companies of Chhattishgarh and two private firms of Jharkhand in its case related to the alleged irregularities in coal block allocations. Sources said the agency, which is likely to register multiple FIRs in the coalgate scam in a day or two, may also book a private company of Rajasthan.
According to sources, the agency has collected all relevant documents related to these companies from the coal ministry. “These firms fall in the suspicious category. Probe by the agency has revealed that irregularities were allegedly committed while allocating coal blocks to these companies. The agency is also probing the role of some officials of the coal ministry as well as concerned state government representatives in the screening committee in this regard,” sources said.
“The agency has collected documents related to these private companies from the power ministry and department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP). The CBI is also preparing to examine certain officials of the DIPP, who were part of the screening committee, in this connection,” sources said.