Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday levelled serious allegations against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the fraud that has come to light in the state government’s ambitious Abhyudaya scheme.
He said that if 48 out of 69 selections have been found to be fraudulent, it is not merely a case of administrative negligence but a blatant disregard for the future of poor and hardworking youth.
Posting on social media, Akhilesh Yadav said the government is trying to wash its hands of the matter by claiming that “it is not a scam, but an improper distribution”.
However, the real question, he said, is what will happen to the future of the students and candidates who were preparing under the scheme while fraudulent names occupied their rightful places.
He alleged that while the government is only concerned about recovering crores of rupees, it has shown no concern for the dreams and hard work of poor youth.
He expressed apprehension that the investigation into the matter should not be limited to financial irregularities alone, but should also examine whether this was a pre-planned conspiracy against the children of the PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) communities.
The SP president said it should be investigated whether eligible candidates were deliberately sent to substandard coaching centres so that they would fail in competitive examinations, thereby absolving the government of its responsibility to provide them jobs.
Alleging that the BJP government’s agenda is not to generate employment, Akhilesh Yadav said it does not hesitate to play with the future of the youth.
He demanded a fair, high-level inquiry into the entire matter and strict action against the culprits so that the injustice being done to the children of poor and backward classes can be stopped.
It may be noted that on December 31, on the instructions of Uttar Pradesh Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Social Welfare Department, Aseem Arun, an FIR was registered at Gomti Nagar police station against the outsourcing company Avani Paridhi Energy Communication Private Limited, Lucknow, and the concerned candidates.
The FIR pertains to charges of conspiracy, use of forged documents, and irregular appointments in the recruitment of course coordinators under the Chief Minister’s Abhyudaya scheme. Orders have also been issued for an administrative inquiry into the entire matter.
According to the Minister of State, the investigation revealed that, as per the rules, passing the UP PCS main examination was mandatory for the post of Course Coordinator. Despite this, several candidates who had not passed the examination were appointed. Out of a total of 69 candidates examined, only 21 were found to be eligible.
The report also clearly indicated that fake and forged documents were used to secure jobs for ineligible individuals. Prima facie, the outsourcing company has been held responsible for the irregularities.