Dotasra demands probe into corruption involving agri dept raids

Jaipur: A day after raising questions regarding the raids conducted by the state agriculture department, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra Sunday demanded an impartial investigation into alleged corruption and extortion linked to the action.

Dotasra’s demand follows the Anti-Corruption Bureau's arrest of Rajasthan State Seeds Corporation director Jugal Kishore Vishnoi and his relative Swatantra Jyani in a Rs 2.43 crore bribery case earlier in the day.

He urged Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to order a thorough probe into the matter, alleging that the arrests raised serious questions about the conduct and purpose of raids carried out by the department in recent months.

Dotasra said that with corruption cases surfacing from Sikar to Bikaner and Sri Ganganagar, it has become evident that the raids were allegedly being used to extort money by instilling fear of official action. He alleged that nearly Rs 500 crore was extorted across Rajasthan through raids conducted under the pretext of enforcement, intimidation and threats.

Questioning the destination of the alleged bribe money, Dotasra asked if officials conducting the raids alongside the agriculture minister were accepting bribes worth crores, then who was ultimately receiving the money.

In a statement, Dotasra said he earlier alleged that a commission-taking and extortion racket was operating under the guise of agriculture department raids.

Referring to the ACB action, he claimed that the accused accompanied Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena during raids conducted in Bikaner, Sikar, Jodhpur, Bhilwara and Sri Ganganagar. He asked whether senior officials or politicians were aware of the alleged activities and sought accountability for those responsible.

Accusing the BJP govt of protecting corrupt elements, Dotasra said the matter was not merely about corruption but also a betrayal of farmers' trust, particularly in cases involving alleged dealings in fake fertilisers and agricultural inputs.