EOW quizzes Siddiqui

Naseemuddin Siddiqui, who was PWD minister in the Mayawati government, appeared before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday for questioning regarding alleged irregularities in the supply of sandstone for construction of various memorials during the previous government.

Siddiqui is presently national general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Officiating Director General of EOW Suvrat Tripathi said Siddiqui was summoned for questioning and he cooperated with the officials.

Sources said that Siddiqui denied any knowledge of alleged irregularities. He also said that all decisions for construction of memorials and the expenditure on them were taken by the cabinet. Further, officials and engineers of the Lucknow Development Authority, PWD and Rajkiya Nirman Nigam looked after the construction work and dealt with the supply of materials.

Siddiqui told EOW officials that he was not involved in the process of shortlisting the suppliers, or the purchase of sandstone.

The EOW had issued notices to 50 persons for questioning on February 2. Besides Siddiqui, they included former BSP MLAs Anil Kumar Maurya, Ramesh Chandra Dubey and Prem Prakash and officials of LDA, PWD and RNN.

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