BHOPAL: Minister for sports and youths welfare, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, despite in-charge collector Neha Marvaya not giving permission, performed ‘Bhumipujan’ and inauguration of roads in Shivpuri. Marvaya had refused to give permission for Bhumipujan due to poor quality of the constructed roads. She had also sent Scindia’s personal assistant Gagan Saxena back, who had come to her to seek permission on Thursday. Marvaya had said she would give permission for inauguration after getting investigations into the quality of roads done.
The Collector had even written a letter to the personal assistant of the minister saying that the payment for the road had not been made, its quality had not been examined and the administration was busy with ‘Mahashivratri’ and suggesting that the minister should not go ahead with the programme.
Scindia, expressing her concern on the behaviour of in-charge collector, said after the programme that we are counting days for the arrival of collector OP Shrivastava, like a child, who studies in a boarding school and waits and counts days in calendar to go home. She said she is not happy with the working of in-charge collector. She said she must understand her obligations and duties. Scindia said the quality of the road would be investigated and its report would be sent at the right place. She said she never inauguration and Bhumipujan of any wrong and incomplete work. She said she ensures that no political conspiracy is being hatched against her.
Newly-appointed leader of opposition Ajay Singh have also jumped into the controversy between minister and in-charge collector. Singh in a letter to Scindia has termed the behaviour of bureaucrat with a cabinet level minister as improper. He wrote that he is pained to see how an officer can be so autocratic in a democracy. They should not forget the dignity and decorum of a public representative. Singh wrote that he would bring this matter into the cognisance of Assembly speaker.
