Om Prakash Rajbhar Flags Corruption in Gram Panchayat Digital Libraries, Writes to UP Chief Minister Seeking Agency Change
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A major administrative tussle has erupted within the Uttar Pradesh government after Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar wrote directly to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging corruption in the establishment of digital libraries across rural gram panchayats. Expressing serious reservations over the execution process of the project's ambitious second phase, Minister Rajbhar has officially recommended stripping the current framework of its responsibilities and reassigning the implementation work to a more competent and skilled state government agency to ensure complete transparency and quality.
Controversy Surrounding the Rs 454 Crore Second Phase Project
The dispute centers around the rollout of digital libraries across 11,350 gram panchayats slated for the second phase, valued at an estimated Rs 454 crore. Previously, departmental officials pushed forward a file replicating the first-phase model—where furniture and book purchases were managed by district magistrate-led committees, and technical hardware like computers and televisions were procured through the Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation (UPDESCO)—which had secured prior clearance. However, following persistent complaints regarding irregularities and corruption, Minister Rajbhar intervened, recalled the project files, and urged the Chief Minister to reconsider the execution mechanism before any ground-level work commences.
Minister Demands Probe Into Delayed Rural Marriage Hall Scheme
In addition to the digital library controversy, Minister Rajbhar has trained his sights on administrative sluggishness plaguing the rural community hall (Barat Ghar) scheme. He formally lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister regarding severe delays in constructing 32 marriage halls funded by the 14th Finance Commission's performance grants, pointing out that not a single hall has been completed even two years after official approval. While departmental officials claim that construction is underway for 23 units with a budget of roughly Rs 3.30 crore per hall—citing land acquisition hurdles for the rest—the minister's demand for a high-level corruption and negligence probe has set the stage for intense administrative scrutiny across Uttar Pradesh's rural development sector.
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