Lucknow | Special Report: The Uttar Pradesh government has taken a strict step against former Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, issuing a notice to deposit ₹10 crore into the state treasury. The action follows irregularities identified in the implementation of the Food Processing Industry Policy-2023.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who also holds charge of the Food Processing Department, instructed the recovery of funds. Acting on these directives, Additional Chief Secretary B.L. Meena directed Shailendra Pratap Singh, Financial and Technical Coordinator of UPVIDASP, to recover the amount and deposit it into government accounts.
Notice Details
UPVIDASP (Uttar Pradesh Diversified Agriculture Support Project) had been allocated ₹10 crore under the Food Processing Policy for its implementation.
The notice states that irregularities occurred in fund utilization. The former Chief Secretary has been given 10 days to deposit the amount in the state treasury. The policy, launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, aims to promote food processing industries and ensure accurate crop data collection across the state.
FCRF Launches CCLP Program to Train India’s Next Generation of Cyber Law Practitioners
Satellite Survey and Policy Violations
With approximately eight million farms in Uttar Pradesh, physically verifying crop patterns is challenging. To overcome this, UPVIDASP appointed four companies to conduct satellite surveys. Each company was assigned 18–20 districts. Reports on crop patterns were submitted to the government and Agriculture Department. Sources reveal that the surveys were conducted without strictly following prescribed guidelines, leading to irregularities.
Former Chief Secretary Responds
Manoj Kumar Singh said that he was Agriculture Production Commissioner and UPVIDASP Chairman when the project started. He described the notice as “unnecessary and inappropriate”, adding that two other officials also served as UPVIDASP chairpersons during the same period.
Government Standpoint
The government emphasized that strict measures will be taken against future irregular payments. Officials have been reminded of their responsibility to ensure correct and transparent implementation of policies.
