EPF Scam: Yogi Adityanath Govt Removes UPPCL Power Secretary, Managing Director

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government has removed the power secretary and managing director of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited over the alleged employees' provident fund (EPF) scam in the state-owned company, an official said. The late Sunday night move comes after the Opposition attacked the BJP government over investments of more than Rs 2,600 crore of the UPPCL EPF in scam-hit housing finance firm DHFL. Aparna U has been shifted to the irrigation department as secretary. M Devraj, who has returned from central deputation, will be the new power secretary and UPPCL managing director, a government spokesperson said. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress have demanded that Power Minister Shrikant Sharma and the principal secretary of his department be dismissed. The SP also demanded a probe by a sitting high court judge into the scam. Congress workers held a protest demonstration over the issue in Lucknow and demanded dismissal of Sharma, saying that a scam of this magnitude cannot take place without the "connivance" of the minister. Last Saturday, the state government had recommended a CBI probe into the matter. The state government had on Sunday claimed that the "dubious" decision was taken by the previous government headed by Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party in April 2014 and the process of investment was further carried forward in 2016.