Court serves notice to Orissa government on pulses scam
By IANSFriday, February 11, 2011
BHUBANESWAR - The Orissa High court Friday issued notice to the state government, seeking its response within ten days, on the alleged scam involving the purchase of pulses for the mid-day meal scheme and the supplementary nutrition programme, a lawyer said.
The court in Cuttack, 26 kms from here, issued the notice in response to a public interest litigation filed by lawyer and social activist Dilip Mohapatra Feb 3.
Chief Justice V. Gopal Gouda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra asked the government to submit its response within ten days, Ashok Mohanty, state advocate general, told IANS.
The alleged dal (pulses) scam came to light after the vigilance department last month claimed that there were irregularities in the purchase of pulses for the mid-day meal scheme and the supplementary nutrition programme meant, respectively, for children and women in the state.
Orissa’s Woman and Child Development Minister Pramila Mallik Feb 5 resigned and at least three senior government officers face action over the scandal.
The court has also sought relevant records from the government, petitioner Dilip Mohapatra told IANS.
Mohapatra said he had filed the petition because he had no faith in the state’s investigating agencies and wanted an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
