Jhansi: In a controversial statement, Uttar Pradesh State Water Resources Minister Swatantra Dev Singh said that 'though there is nothing wrong in making some extra money, one should not pocket the entire amount.' The minister made the remark on Saturday while he was in the Tehroli Tehsil area of Jhansi to review the developments in the work of the Sarsaida Canal and Badwar Lake, Amli Canal in the area.
Reprimanding the Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department for the plight and cleanliness of the rivers, he said that apart from the area around the main road from Jhansi to Jalaun, there is no cleanliness. Especially the inner side of the canals in rural areas are dirty, even broken, he said. Presuming that the officials might have used up the money allotted for cleanliness for personal purposes, he said, "Earning money is not a bad thing. But it is wrong to bury all the money given by the government."
He further added that the government aims to make water available to the farmers' fields and that is what the money should be used for. A video that captured his statement is going viral, while the political circles have taken up the issue with several opposition parties targeting the BJP minister.
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