Shimla, October 22
The state Vigilance Department here today filed a challan in the court of Mr M.D. Sharma, Special Judge, against Mr Virbhadra Singh, Leader of the Opposition, Mr O.P. Yadav, the then Forest Secretary, and two others, besides Sagar Katha Udyog, under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC in the khair wood allotment case.
They have been charged with criminal breach of trust, forgery, cheating, criminal misconduct and misuse of official position to cause pecuniary gain to Sagar Katha Udyog. Mr Geeta Ram, the then Deputy Secretary Forests, and Mr Dinesh Kumar, a partner in the firm, are the two other persons against whom a challan has been filed in the case. The name of Mr Sant Ram, the then Forest Minister, also figured in the report but he had died in June 1998.
Mr Virbhadra Singh has been charged with allotting 25 per cent khair wood quota to Sagar Katha Udyog without taking the matter to the Cabinet and after altering and interpolating the original notings in the file in violation of rule 15 of Rules of Business of Himachal Pradesh. The rules stipulate that all matters referred to in the schedule under Article 116 of the Constitution shall be brought before the council.
Thus by abusing his official position, Mr Virbhadra Singh showed undue favour to a private party. The value of 25 per cent khair wood allotted to Sagar Katha Udyog worked out to Rs 2.22 lakh in the first year of allotment.
During investigation it was found that Mr Sant Ram had recommended allotment of 25 per cent quota to the firm on November 7,1997, which was approved by Mr Virbhadra Singh on November 11,1997. Subsequently, the file was recalled by the Forest Minister and after applying correction fluid on the handwritten noting, it was typed, “We may bring the matter before Cabinet”.
The altered noting was approved by the Chief Minister. Accordingly, the matter was processed and a draft Cabinet memorandum was prepared and submitted to the Chief Minister for approval in December 1997. The Forest Minister on February 25,1998, wrote on the file that “ the issue being a policy matter may not be reopened and the present policy may continue” which apparently was approved by Mr Virbhadra Singh who simply appended his signatures. However, thereafter, he once again inserted the words at his appended signature dated March 7,1998, that “I have reconsidered the matter. There is no need to bring it before the Cabinet. As proposed 25 per cent quota may be given. The agreement was signed between the government and the firm in March 23,1998.”
Investigation also revealed that Mr O.P. Yadav, and Mr Geeta Ram allowed 6 per cent inadmissible price benefit to the firm for a period of two years in an unauthorised manner.
The case has been listed for October 31.
