In a first, a petitioner has issued a legal notice to the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and the Government of Himachal Pradesh for submitting a false affidavit in the State High Court.
The petitioner had filed a plea in the High Court citing irregularities in the functioning of the Forest Department as well in the allocation of the budget in the last 10 years.
Reportedly, the court, in its previous order, had directed the Forest Department that no non-technical official should be allowed to pass estimates and drawings and undertake supervision, MB, Checkouts etc. in the civil work.
In reply, the Department had filed an affidavit in which it had clearly stated that it is complying with the orders passed by the court and none of the said works were being undertaken by any non-technical officials after 2017.
However, an RTI application filed by the petitioner showed that the department had allegedly lied in the court, through a false affidavit, and the same business continues unperturbed even after the court’s directions.
Following the RTI, the petitioner has now sent a legal notice to the Department and the Chief Secretary, HP Government, regarding the same. It is for the first time a petitioner has sent a legal notice to the government or a department in the state.
The petitioners also alleged arbitrariness in the expenditure of the finances. The petitioner said, along with the legal notice, contempt of court would be filed in the High Court.
