Maharashtra Congress seeks CBI probe into UPL affairs

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into the affairs of the United Phosphorus Ltd (UPL) which it said is a "partner" of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

A state Congress spokesperson said it is the same company whose toxic pesticides resulted in at least 40 farmers' deaths in Vidarbha and running the Deonar dumbping ground in Mumbai.

On Tuesday, the UPL's registered office in Khar was raided by the Election Commission flying squad and Congress where an illegal factory producing election propaganda material was unearthed.

The EC seized goods and materials worth around Rs 6 crore and the Khar police sealed the premises.

He said the company which has an independent director Pradeep Goyal, the brother of Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, has been allegedly awarded contracts to dispose of waste at the Deonar dumping ground worth Rs 4,500 crore by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

"These and other aspects of the company's links with the ruling BJP must be probed by the CBI. Another BJP MP Sanjay Kakade is a partner in the Deonar project," Sawant told mediapersons.

In the past, Shiv Sena city MP Rahul Shewale had alleged shady dealings in the Deonar project after which the civic body had stalled payments to UPL and the state government had intervened in the matter.

"It is shocking that the same company's products have led to death of around 40 farmers in the past two years and another 700 suffered health problems. The BJP government probed the matter, but UPL was given a clean chit," Sawant pointed out.