HC issues contempt notice to Maharashtra minister

Mumbai, Sep 11 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today issued contempt notices to Maharashtra Marketing Minister Harshawardhan Patil and seven others for failing to hold elections to the Kolhapur Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), as directed by the court.

Acting on a contempt petition filed by Hanuman Vividh Karyakari Seva Sanstha, Justice Sharad Bobde today issued notices asking the minister and seven sitting members of the Kolhapur APMC as to why action under contempt of court act should not be taken against them.

The notices were returnable after two weeks.

The high court, in May this year, had directed the state government to hold elections to the APMC before September 15, 2007.

Accordingly, election programme was announced and date for voting was set as September, 2007, but the programme came to a standstill as the Committee resolved on August 26, not to provide expenditure for the scheduled elections.

UNI