Congress Government landed in an embarrassing situation when the Congress State President Mohan Markam alleged misappropriation of District Mineral Fund (DMF) and demanded setting up a panel of MLAs in the House during question hour on Monday. Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey assured of getting it probed through the state-level officials and the report will be submitted within one month and actions shall be taken against those found guilty.

Mohan Markam questioned Rural Engineering Service (RES) works in the past three years. He alleged Rs 60 crore of DMF money misappropriation and said just one Executive Engineer had got the charge of RES and Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana. Markam also questioned how RES, the construction agency, took the contract for supplying construction materials.

BJP MLAs couldn’t let go of this opportunity to take a jibe at Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. They made stinging remarks, indicating the fissure between Chief Minister and Congress State President by recalling the poster controversy during Congress plenary session. BJP MLA Shivratan Sharma, Saurabh Singh and Ajay Chandrakar aimed at Chief Minister off the shoulder of Congress State President Mohan Markam.

Minister Ravindra Choubey clarified that there couldn’t be two construction agencies, so RES is undertaking both construction and supply of materials. On the allegation of fund misappropriation, Ravindra Choubey informed that Executive Engineer Arun Kumar Sharma is the Executive Engineer and he holds the charge of both RES and PMGSY. Minister again reiterated the investigation through state-level officials.