State Govt. orders inquiry into the charges

Bhimrao Ambedkar, ruling BSP MLA from Lakhna, denies the charges

An engineer was beaten to death allegedly by another BSP MLA in 2008

Etawah (U.P.): A senior Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department engineer has resigned accusing a ruling BSP MLA of issuing a threat to his life. The State Government ordered an inquiry into the allegations which have been denied by the legislator.

Shivdas, posted as an executive engineer in the First Tubewell Division in Etawah, has sent a letter to the Chief Minister accusing BSP MLA from Lakhna Assembly constituency Bhimrao Ambedkar of issuing a threat to his life and has tendered his conditional resignation, official sources said on Sunday.

The engineer has also forwarded a copy of his letter to the Minister concerned, the Principal Secretary, Etawah’s District Magistrate and few MLAs, sources in Lucknow said.

However, Mr. Ambedkar denied having issued any threat to the engineer. While Mr. Shivdas could not be contacted, sources said that he did not attend the marriage function of his son in Kanpur on Saturday.

In his letter, Mr. Shivdas alleged that during a telephonic conversation on installation of tubewells, “the MLA not only abused me, but also threatened me with an incident similar to the one that had taken place in Auraiya.” PWD engineer Manoj Gupta was beaten to death allegedly by BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari and his accomplices in Auraiya in 2008.

President of UP Engineers’ Association A K Farooqi said Mr. Shivdas had complained earlier that “someone” was troubling him with regard to boring of tubewells in a particular area and now he has given a complaint in writing.

He said although the Minister concerned had assured engineers that security would be provided to them, “I am afraid there is no security.”

Taking a serious view of the incident, the State Government asked the Principal Secretary of Irrigation Department to hold an inquiry into the incident. “Principal Secretary (Irrigation) K S Atoria will conduct an inquiry into the allegations levelled by engineer Shivdas against BSP MLA from Lakhna Bhimrao Ambedkar,” a government spokesman said, adding that unduly pressurising officers and employees in the discharge of duty would not be tolerated.

In his letter, Mr. Shivdas said that the MLA called him up on February 19 and discussed installation of hand pumps under Chaudhary Charan Singh Tubewell Project. Under the project, 24 sites were identified by a committee for installation of tubewells, he said.

“However, as quality of water at three places was not found suitable for agriculture, a proposal to identify alternative sites was pending with the District Magistrate.”

Mr. Shivdas claimed that during the telephonic conversation, the MLA, while alleging that installation of tubewell was not recommended in his area, used unparliamentary language.

However, in response to the charge, Mr. Ambedkar told reporters here: “I had talked to the engineer only to apprise him of the demand of the people and had not issued any threat. If this allegation is proved, I will resign from the membership of the Vidhan Sabha.” -- PTI