Probe into cement purchase for forest villages

Bhopal, Mar 11 (UNI) The government today announced in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly that senior officers would probe alleged irregularities in the purchase of cement for infrastructure development in forest villages.

The inquiry would be conducted within a week, Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah said in reply to a call attention notice moved by Mr Sajjan Singh Verma and Mr Ramniwas Rawat.

Mr Verma alleged that gross irregularities were committed in the purchase of cement by the forest department flouting all norms and heavy expenditure was made on transporting the cement.

Mr Shah admitted that Rs 66.62 lakh was spent on transporting cement purchased through Laghu Udyog Nigam.

He said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 259.94 crore to the State for development of forest villages at the rate of Rs 15 lakh each in two installments per village. Of this, Rs 194.68 crore had already been received.

The fund allocated by the Centre was being properly used and there was no anguish among the villagers against the State government, he added.

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