HC directs Urban Development secretary to submit affidavit regarding irregularities in development works
Wednesday, 14 December 2022 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the Urban Development secretary to file an affidavit in court by March 14 regarding alleged irregularities in execution of development works in a village in Bageshwar district. The division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari issued this direction while hearing on a public interest litigation filed regarding alleged irregularities in execution of development works in the Naughar Gram Panchayat in Bageshwar district.
According to the case details, Naughar resident Narayan Singh Nayal had filed the public interest litigation stating that departmental employees had orchestrated various irregularities in the development works undertaken in the said Gram Panchayat between 2013 and 2018. The development works which have been carried out in the area are either incomplete or are not upto the desired standards of quality. The petitioner has stated that he and others in the area had repeatedly complained to the senior officials about the irregularities in development works in the area. The allegations of irregularities were found to be correct after an inquiry. However, no action was taken against the officials responsible despite the allegations of irregularities being found correct. In the public interest litigation Nayal has sought action against the persons responsible. In the past the court had sought the Urban Development secretary to submit his reply via video and during the hearing on Tuesday the bureaucrat submitted the affidavit via video. However, the court was not satisfied with the affidavit and has directed him to submit his reply again.
