Statues of Gehlot, ex-minister in Chambal Riverfront museum unethical: UDH minister Kharra

Kota: UDH minister Jhabar Singh Kharra on Wednesday termed “unethical” the statues of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and ex-cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal built during the previous Congress government and placed in a yet-to-be-inaugurated museum of the Chambal Riverfront Project.

Information on allegations of corruption and the “misuse of public money” in the 1,442-crore Chambal Riverfront Project will be verified and action will be taken accordingly, Kharra said during a visit to Kota – his first since assuming charge as a minister.

While Dhariwal could not be reached for a comment, Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) of Kota, which carried out the project, said they are awaiting directions from the newly formed state government on the matter.

The statues have already been made and are currently placed in the museum, UIT secretary Man Singh said, adding that an order by the state government is awaited on them.

Three separate sets of statues of Gehlot, former Urban Development and Housing (UDH) minister Shanti Dhariwal with architect Anoop Baratia and former officer on special duty RD Meena have been installed in a yet-to-be-inaugurated museum in the Kota riverfront.

Speaking to the media, Kharra said building such statues on public money was unethical and that such works would not get sanction from an ethical government.

The UDH minister said that he will hold a meeting with officials to collect information regarding charges of corruption in the project and decide the future course of action.

Kharra reached Kota on Wednesday afternoon and met party leader ex-MLA Prahlad Gunjal, who has previously levelled charges of corruption and misuse of funds in the Chambal Riverfront Project.

Gunjal welcomed the minister with party workers and presented to him some papers, which he claimed were related to charges of “corruption and misuse of public money” by Dhariwal, who was the UDH minister in the previous Congress government.

Dhariwal is the sitting MLA from Kota North who defeated Gunjal in recent state assembly polls.