Khatik meets CM; says will continue on his post
LUCKNOW : UP’s junior Jal Shakti minister, Dinesh Khatik, met chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the latter’s official residence here on Thursday and said he will continue on his post, after all issues raised by him “stood resolved”.
With this, unease among three ministers of the Yogi Adityanath government over transfers in their departments appeared to have subsided for now.
The meeting came a day after Khatik addressed a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah and UP governor Anandiben Patel offering to quit.
In the letter, the minister alleged that he is being ignored by officials as he is Dalit and alleged corruption in his department.
There were also indications that corrective measures were being taken on the list of transfers and promotions etc in the public works department after ascertaining the irregularities therein.
“I have put up my issues before the chief minister and action will be taken on them,” said Khatik after meeting the CM on Thursday evening. On whether action will be taken against the officers he had mentioned in his letter to union minister for home Amit Shah, he said: “I have put up the issues before the CM.”
A Dalit minister from western UP, Khatik arrived here on Thursday and went to the CM’s residence around 4pm where UP’s cabinet minister for Jal Shakti, Swatantra Dev Singh, was also present for the meeting. Khatik remained there for over half an hour. He had questioned the role of Swatantra Dev Singh too saying that he had not been allotted any work in his department.
Speaking to media persons, Khatik called Swatantradev Singh his elder brother and said Yogi government was following a policy of zero tolerance against corruption.
Khatik said he hoped appropriate legal action would be taken on the issues raised by him.
In his letter dated July 19, 2022 addressed to union home minister, Khatik said he was not being given appropriate respect by officers of his department and rules were not being followed in implementation of the Namami Gange and Har Ghar Jal projects.
“Funds were illegally being collected by my department in the name of transfers,” alleged Khatik while offering to resign from his post.
Will the meetings that the CM had with Khatik and minister for PWD Jitin Prasad lead to smooth functioning in these departments? Both the departments will be under watch of political observers in coming weeks.
Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak too had pointed out serious irregularities in transfers ordered by the state health department.
Pathak had sent a letter in this regard to additional chief secretary (health). A fact-finding committee though was set up to probe the transfers in health department.
The state government was yet to come out with action on the same.
Funds were illegally being collected by my department in the name of transfers DINESH KHATIK, minister