HC issues notice to Lokayukta over fence purchase

Bhopal/Jabalpur: A division bench of MP high court issued notice to Lokayukta SP posted in Sagar in response to a petition alleging that funds worth lakhs of rupees were siphoned off by forest officials in the name of purchasing iron nets for fencing in Panna and Chhatarpur forest divisions; and despite complaints, no action was taken against errant officials.
The petition filed by a retired forest department employee Munendra Singh Parihar and two others said that there has been a bungling of more than Rs 50 lakh in the purchase of iron net by the forest department in Panna and Chhatarpur districts under the plantation drive. Action against officials involved in the scam was not initiated despite complaints; therefore a public interest litigation (PIL) had to be filed for justice from the court.
Secretary, forest department, PCCF, DFO, Panna, Punit Sonkar, DFO, Chhatarpur, Anurag Kumar, retired CCF, Chhatarpur, PP Titere and SP, special police establishment (SPE), Lokayukta, Sagar are the respondents in the petition.
Following preliminary arguments in the case, the division bench of chief justice R V Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra issued notice to SP, SPE, Lokayukta posted at Sagar seeking a response. The petition will now come up for hearing on January 6. tnn