HC seeks ATR on recovery of defalcated govt fund

Patna, July 17 (UNI) The Patna High Court today directed the Bihar government to file an Action Taken Report (ATR) relating to recovery of swindled government funds and action taken against the erring officials of concerned departments.

While hearing a PIL, seeking recovery of alleged embezzled amount of over Rs 1700 crore in several state departments during 1989 to 2005, the division bench comprising Justice Narayan Roy and Justice K K Mandal passed the order.

During the hearing, state counsel informed the court that intensive drive had been launched by the state government to locate the officials responsible for pubic fund embezzlement and recovery of the same.

The counsel also informed the bench about the action taken in this regard during the last two months stating that Rs 9 lakh 90 thousand rupees had been recovered, in addition to the earlier recovery of Rs 3 crore 81 lakh. 31 FIRs had been lodged while 2 erring officials had been discharged from his services in this connection, he added.

Referring the recovery of the said amount, counsel of the petitioner complained that action-taking process was very slow, which would take years in recovery of all the misappropriated government funds.

UNI