Maya's jumbo troubles: Statues expose Rs 60-crore scam!

The Lucknow police have begun a probe into an alleged financial fraud in the elephants statues installed by the Bahujam Samaj Party government in Lucknow and Noida.

According to the police, Rs 60 crore or more was spent on 130 stone elephants at three memorial parks built by Mayawati.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered a SIT probe in the over-pricing of statues.

A search was carried out on Monday at the office of Rajkiya Nirman Nigam in Gomti Nagar for alleged irregularities in installation of statues of elephants at parks in Lucknow and Noida, the police said.

It has come to light that excess payments were allegedly made and works were allotted at higher rates by overlooking rules in a scam which may be to the tune of several crore rupees, Additional Superintendent of Police (Trans-Gomti) Ram Bahadur said.

"So far the value of the statue has come around Rs 58 lakh...we are collecting the documents from RNN after which the situation will become clear," Bahadur said.

Also, workers who lacked expertise were employed for the statues, he said.

While 60 statues have been installed in Lucknow, 30 were erected in Noida, he said, adding that though preliminary inquiry was being done by police the case may be handed to an expert agency.

The search was carried out following the arrest of a contractor in RNN for allegedly duping an Agra-based stone supplier.

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