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UP minister Dinesh Khatik who backtracked on resignation skips state events
A letter written by Khatik to Union home minister Amit Shah and UP governor Anandiben Patel on July 19 had surfaced on social media on Wednesday wherein he offered to resign citing corruption in his department and the behaviour of bureaucrats in the ministry.
Even as Uttar Pradesh’s minister of state for jal shakti, Dinesh Khatik, said he would continue to work in his post as all issues that had precipitated his resignation were resolved, he skipped a review meeting held at the chief minister’s residence on Thursday night as well as the concluding ceremony of ‘Groundwater Week’, organised by his department on Friday.
A letter written by Khatik to Union home minister Amit Shah and UP governor Anandiben Patel on July 19 had surfaced on social media on Wednesday wherein he offered to resign citing corruption in his department and the behaviour of bureaucrats in the ministry. However, on Thursday afternoon he backtracked after a meeting with chief minister Yogi Adityanath and said all his issues “stood resolved”.
Adityanath, jal shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, MoS, jal shakti, Ram Kesh Nishad and senior officers of the department were present at the ‘Groundwater Week’ event at Lok Bhavan in Lucknow.
A senior official of the department also confirmed that the minister did not attend Thursday’s review meet. “Dinesh Khatik did not attend the review meeting of the department, held under the chairmanship of the chief minister on Thursday evening, while cabinet minister Swatantra Dev Singh and the other junior minister Ram Kesh Nishad were present,” said the officer, requesting anonymity.
HT reached out to Khatik for comment but his cell phone was switched off and his office staff said the minister had left Lucknow for Meerut. His staff in Meerut said the minister had left for his assembly constituency of Hastinapur.
Khatik’s colleague Nishad also refused to comment on his absence from both events.
Speaking to the media after meeting Adityanath on Thursday, Khatik had said he had placed all his issues in front of the CM. “I hope the chief minister will take action on the issues raised by me,” he said.
