Court serves notice on CS and senior IAS officials

Ranchi, Feb 15 (UNI) The Jharkhand High Court today served notices on Chief Secretary M K Mandal besides secretaries of member board of revenue, health, finance and for personal administrative reforms and Rajbhasa to reply within three weeks regarding the allegation made on Mr P P Ssharma, former chief secretary.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Muthuswamy Karpagyavinaygam and justice Permod Kohli passed the order while hearing a PIL filed by one Bharat Bhushan Prasad Amar.

Rajan Raj appearing on behalf of the petitioner, alleged that Mr Shrama, the then chief secretary, had misused his position and power during his tenure.

Demanding a CBI probe, he informed the court that Sharma operated a bank account of Jharkhand health society and disbursed approximately Rs 12 crore without informing the health secretary.

The then health secretary had written a letter to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand in this connection and had asked to initiate departmental inquiry into it.

Sharma, the then chief secretary, filed an affidavit in the High Court that the state government would give assistance of Rs 50 crore to the ispat company whereas as per state government's provision there was assistance of only Rs 12 crore 16 lakh.

The Court, after hearing the allegation made by the petitioner and the noting made by the then health secretary, issued notices on the state government.

UNI