HC passes strictures against State Minister Ahmed

Mumbai, Aug 16 (UNI) The Bombay High Court has passed strictures against Maharashtra Dairy Devolpment and Animal Husbandry Minister Anees Ahmed for extending the contract of a private firm for collecting toll on a public road in Mumbai.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatantra Kumar and Justice Ranjana Desai today passed an order during the hearing of a petition filed by Subash Acharya, director of one of the companies and a petitioner who lost the bid.

The bench, in its order, observed that action on the part of the Minister to extend the contract amounted to ''abuse of power'' and was not in accordance with the law of the land.

The court also directed the state government to set up a committee in this regard to ascertain the losses to the government exchequer as a result of the extension of the contract.

UNI