A Tag On The Taj

Hours after meekly surrendering in the face of some tough talk by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and deputy PM L.K. Advani on the issue of tourism minister Jagmohan's resignation, UP chief minister Mayawati, for the first time in her current tenure, gave vent to her spleen. Returning to Lucknow, she told party workers, It isn't just my responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the coalition, and added her oft-repeated warning: Be ready for polls.
But such posturing apart, Mayawati knows the cbi probe into the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) scam could land her in serious trouble. cbi officials investigating the case say there is no way a project involving Rs 175 crore could have been passed without the CM's consent. Consider the following:

-t
• Documentary evidence with Outlook points to the fact that on November 1, 2002, Mayawati's government under orders of state environment secretary R.K. Sharma okayed the release of Rs 17 crore to the National Projects Construction Committee (NPCC) for starting work.


-t
• Minutes of a meeting confirms the decision taken by the Mission Management Board on October 12, 2002, granting formal approval to the project. Signatories include state tourism minister Nasimuddin Siddiqi, UP chief secretary P.L. Punia and other senior environment, tourism officials of the state government.


-t
• At the TTZ meeting on January 25, 2003, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials had told the commissioner, Agra, that no permission of any kind had been sought for work at the site.


-t
• A UP government order states explicitly that expenses over Rs 10 crore requires the Public Investment Board's clearance. The chief secretary is board chairman and it's impossible the CM didn't know what her top bureaucrat had given accent to.


-t
• To ward off those raising objections, a signboard at the construction site claimed the project had Supreme Court approval. This was crudely erased after the apex court took up the case.


-t
• At a ministry of forests and environment meeting, UP officials were clearly told that as per ASI guidelines no construction work would be allowed within 500 metres of the prohibited area around the Taj.

There are other indicators as well. A senior official of the National Projects Construction Committee (NPCC) told Outlook, It is strange how everyone is feigning ignorance as more than 40 officials attended the Mission Management meetings before sanctioning the project. There were representatives from the concerned departments, both from the state as well as Union government.
Among all this, of particular interest is environment secretary Sharma's official letter where he notes that the Rs 17 crore for the NPCC has been cleared by the Hon'ble governor (Vishnukant Shastri) as well.
Meanwhile, stung by Delhi's rebuff, Mayawati's immediate retaliation was to announce the postponement of the forthcoming budget session of the state assembly by three weeks. Then she went into a huddle with senior party leaders and talked of elections.
What has till now remained an uneasy BJP-BSP equation in the state is likely to spill over to Delhi now. The dozen-odd 'rebel' BJP leaders here are hoping the high command will use this opportunity to withdraw support to the BSP. But SP leader Amar Singh believes otherwise. The BJP in Uttar Pradesh can only ride piggyback on the BSP. They are aware that Mayawati has a far more consolidated votebank.
BSP leaders close to the UP chief minister say 'behenji' is unlikely to forget the insult. And this time it is a lot more complex. Mayawati has to explain how as chief minister with additional charge of the finance portfolio she approved a Rs 175 crore project without the necessary Central clearance.
Outlook Link: https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/a-tag-on-the-taj/221045