Bhopal, Aug 29 (IANS): A delegation of Congress leaders on Monday met the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta and handed over a written complaint against Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and State Rural Livelihood Mission CEO Lalit Mohan Belwal.

Referring to an earlier confidential report by the state Accountant-General, which had revealed "large scale fraud/misappropriation" in the state government's nutrition programme for women and children between 2018 and 2021, the party demanded an investigation into the alleged scam.

Later addressing a press conference at Congress headquarters, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha said: "Today we met the state Lokayukta and requested to conduct an inquiry into the matter. We have also requested to conduct an inquiry against Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and Lalit Mohan Belwal."

He alleged that the alleged scam had taken place in the tenure of Belwal who enjoyed Bains' patronage.

"The Accountant General had conducted this inquiry on a sample basis and said that it was the responsibility of the state government to get the matter investigated by an independent body. But the state government did not take any initiative to conduct any inquiry in this regard," Tankha said.

He also added that the complaint has been filed before the Lokayukta with a prayer that FIRs be filed against Bains, Belwal and other constitutional, government and private sector beneficiaries "who were involved in this large scale corruption".

Tankha said: "There are clear orders of the Supreme Court that FIR should be registered in such a case and investigation should be started immediately by seizing all relevant documents."

"We have full faith on the state Lokayukta that justice will be provided to the people of Madhya Pradesh. These two officials have cheated the women and children of the state and despite these scams, they have been serving in the state government. If Lokayukta do not take action, we will be forced to approach the High Court," he added.

Last week, Tankha had questioned why Bains, whose service period got over in November 2022, is being given extension time and again.

"Is there no other IAS officer in Madhya Pradesh who can replace Iqbal Singh Bains," he had said.

Tankha, who is also a member of political affairs committee of state Congress, had also alleged that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan "is fully dependent on Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains to set his political agenda".

"In such a situation, the officer applies all his mind to favour the Chief Minister and the ruling party.

"Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains should resign from the post on moral grounds, and if he does not do so till the next Saturday, we will be forced to proceed to challenge his extension in service in a legal way," he added.

However, The ruling BJP has in the past said that for much of the period covered by the Accountant General in the confidential report highlighting irregularities was during the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.