In a bid to give her own government a clean chit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday released a white paper on the allegations of rampant corruption in her regime.
Evidently, the 84-page booklet issued in the form of "white paper" was an exercise towards recasting the image of the ruling party and the government, that was currently faced with loud allegations of 'large financial irregularities and huge pilferage of funds by not just the bureaucracy and ruling party leaders or ministers, but even by the chief minister.'
Releasing the white paper on her behalf, state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said, "The chief minister believes in utmost transparency that was followed in all key departments and undertakings of the government."
He said, "The chief minister was clearly of the view that the allegations leveled by the opposition were baseless and politically motivated; yet she felt it necessary to issue a white paper on various issues relating to as many as 24 departments."
These included the department of public works, housing, industrial development, irrigation, urban development, energy, agriculture, rural development, excise, health, basic education, higher education, social welfare and mining, that were handling government funds to the tune of thousands of crores. Most of these very lucrative portfolios were shared by a few handpicked ministers.
The white paper however sought to claim that the Mayawati government 'believed in maintaining high standards of integrity', so much so that it never hesitated to order punitive action even against its MLAs, MPs or ministers in case they were found involved in any kind of corrupt or criminal activity.
