Congress general secretary and its MP Digvijaya Singh has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to take action against Union minister Nitin Gadkari for some decisions, which he
Congress general secretary and its MP Digvijaya Singh has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to take action against Union minister Nitin Gadkari for some decisions, which he has described as controversial. These are clear cut cases of “conflict of interest and favouritism,” the senior Congress leader alleged.
Mr Singh alleged that Mr Gadkari took undue interest raising the ratio of ethanol in a blend of ethanol and petroleum from 22.5 per cent as against 10 per cent. Although Mr Gadkari was not incharge of the ministry dealing with the blending, he issued a statement in Nagpur in form of a Cabinet note on increasing the percentage of ethanol from 10 per cent to 22.5 per cent. “A Cabinet note is a secret document. As a minister, he also violated the oath of secrecy,” Mr Singh said. Mr Singh claimed Mr Gadkari’s son Nikhil is listed as the director of Purti Power and Sugar Ltd. Sensing the decision of the Government of India to increase the blending percentage, Nikhil’s firm decided to treble its production from 45 kilo litres per day to 135 kilo litres per day.
In another decision Mr Gadkari, as a minister of transport, started ethanol-run public transport buses and inaugurated the project barely three months after becoming the minister.
Another complaint is that Mr Gadkari overturned the ban on electronic rickshaws in Delhi and announced that the e-rickshaw buyers would get a loan on three per cent interest under the Deen Dayal Scheme.
“The director of Purti Green Technologies, which manufactures e-rickshaws, is Mr Gadkari’s brother-in-law Rajesh Totade. The other director of Purti is Prasad Prabhakarrao Kashikar,who is also listed as a director of Chaitanya Constructions and Builders. One of the directors of Chaitanya Constructions is Mr Gadkari’s other son Sarang. Therefore there are clear links between the Gadkari family and Purti Green Technologies,” the Congress MP claimed.
“I know you (the Prime Minister) will not act because of political compulsions, but still it my duty to remind you as the self-proclaimed chowkidar (guard) in the national interest,” Mr Singh added.
