HC serves notice to minister

Nagpur, Apr 28 (UNI) The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued notices to Maharashtra Minister of State for Transport Dharmarao Baba Atram and the Department of Forests, on a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that the Minister had misused his office for personal gains.

The notices, returnable on June 7, were issued yesterday by a division bench comprising Justice Ambadas Joshi and Justice R C Chavan.

The PIL has been filed by Satyanarayan Gaddewar, a social worker from Aheri in Gadchiroli district.

The PIL alleges that Mr Atram, who is also the Gadchiroli guardian minister, took advantage of his ministerial office to enable his company, the Navdurga Bamboo Craft Private Limited, to enter into an agreement with the state government to procure bamboos at nominal rates for the manufacture of bamboo mats and boards.

However, most of the bamboos thus procured, were sold by the company in the open market on the pretext that they were not fit for manufacturing mats and boards, the petition said, adding that the company thereby made huge profits and caused loss of revenue to the government.

The cutting of bamboos by the company in the forests in Gadchiroli district was therefore' illegal, the PIL contended.

The petition has also demanded an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the deal and sought directions from the court to stop the company's activities.

UNI