Muzaffarnagar: SHGs accuse officials of ‘tricolour scam’, stage dharna

BKU’s Saharanpur division Yuva Mandal president Vikash Sharma alleged that the self-help groups were compelled to make contribution for the tricolour and ₹500 was taken from each group. He said that district has 5,100 SHGs and therefore it seems to be a scam of ₹25 lakh and demanded the officials to return the money.

The women members of self-help groups (SHGs) along with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders and activists staged a dharna at the office of the Gramin Pariyojana Nideshak in Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday and accused the officials of taking money from SHGs for providing tricolours during the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.

Women from SHGs and BKU leaders staging dharna at the office of the project director. (HT Photo)

The angry women members of the self-help groups locked the office of project director Pramod Yadav and sat on dharna outside the office.

BKU’s Saharanpur division Yuva Mandal president Vikash Sharma and activists accompanied the women members. Sharma alleged that the self-help groups were compelled to make contribution for the tricolour and ₹500 was taken from each group.

Sharma said that district has 5,100 self-help groups and therefore it seems to be a scam of ₹25 lakh and demanded the officials to return the money.

He further said that government had fixed the price of tricolour at ₹16 but ₹500 was taken from each group. The activists further alleged that flags of substandard quality were provided to them.

Speaking to HT over phone, SDM Jha said that the money was taken as per the direction of a government order and said that the amount would be returned to groups with an interest of 4 percent. He denied that there was any scam and said that protestors had exaggerated the entire thing.

Meanwhile, BKU district president in Muzaffarnagar Yogesh Sharma also alleged that officials of different departments were compelled to raise funds for ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.