THC row gets murkier

LUCKNOW: If a complaint filed by AjayAgarwal, who was advocate on record for UP government in the Taj HeritageCorridor case in the Supreme Court, is to be believed then the former principalsecretary, environment, RK Sharma, has been telling "some of his relatives" thatthe Taj project is "of the chief minister (Mayawati)and (PL) Punia and the chiefsecretary (DS) Bagga has passed it."Agarwal''s complaint, which isnow a court document, also accuses Sharma of telling some people that he hadgiven 12 diamond bangles worth Rs 2.5 lakh each to the chiefminister.A UP government spokesman reiterated the stand taken bythe chief minister that the project was the responsibility of the Centralgovernment. "As far as the project is concerned the chief ministerhas already made it clear that it is the Centre which is responsible but aboutthe diamond bangles you have to ask RK Sharma because it is against him that thecomplaint has been filed.What is more important than the diamond bangles is theconnection which the complaint seeks to establish between the Taj HeritageCorridor and the bigwigs of Central and UP government.It says ofSharma, "that you have talked in your circle that you are helping in theconstruction of house of KC Mishra, secretary, ministry of environment andforests, Govt of India and so will face no hurdle in sanctioning of the projectsby Govt of India."And if there is any truth in Agarwal''s complaint,the UP government had awarded the contract to one Ishwaku construction whoengaged sub-contractors. "That it is Ishwaku constructions, whose owners areyour friends, who are actually getting this project implemented by thesub-contractors and you have used NPCC for getting the contract without tenderand five times money has been charged for getting the work of reclamation ofland through sand and boulders," Agarwal quotes Sharma as telling somepeople.Agarwal was removed "within four days of communicating thecomplaint to the chief secretary" against RK Sharma. His services were dispensedwith vide a letter dated July 16.According to Agarwal''s complaint,Sharma had threatened Agarwal with dire consequences after the two fell outallegedly over the issue of Agarwal''s payment.On the basis of hiscomplaint, the Supreme Court had ordered the police to provide Agarwal withprotection.