Taking up a PIl that was filed more than ten years ago, the Odisha High Court on Thursday issued notice to the State Government seeking a detailed report on the issues raised in the petition.
Pradeep Kumar Sahu, a senior journalist of the city, had filed the PIl in 2003 alleging that at least 146 fake appointments were made in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Similarly, another 144 people were given jobs in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) between 1998 and 2002 with the help of fake appointment orders, the petitioner alleged, saying that some officials were swindling to the tune of Rs3 crore, which was drawn as salaries of these fake and non-existent employees.
Seeking a CBI inquiry into the alleged swindling, the petitioner had prayed the High Court to initiate criminal proceedings against the erring officials of the civic body.The PIl was, however, not taken up all these years as the State Crime Branch police, in the meantime, had taken up the matter and arrested a few officials after investigation.But when nothing tangible came out in the investigation after so many years, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice AK Goel and Justice AK Rath on Thursday asked the Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department to file an inquiry report by July 17.