HP vigilance dept files FIR against horticulture officials

A CASE UNDER SECTION 420 OF IPC AND 13(B) OF PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT HAS BEEN REGISTERED AGAINST THREE HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS

SHIMLA: :After the four-year-long probe, state vigilance and anticorruption bureau has filed a case against three horticulture department officials for purchasing three anti-hail guns which failed to yield expected results.

They have been charged under Section 420 (fraud) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. It has been alleged in the first information report (FIR) that there were some irregularities in purchasing the guns and officials at helms of affair at that time were under vigilance department’s radar for the same.

During Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime, three antihail guns were installed at Kathasu, Deorighat and Braionghat of Shimla district, the assembly segments of former horticulture minister Narinder Bragta. These anti-hail guns were installed under ₹3.29-crore centrally-aided project and were imported from a US-based supplier.

These machines were purchased assuring farmers that it will protect crops from the hail storms.

The guns were installed in 2010 on pilot basis but could not yield the expected result. One of the anti-hail guns was shut in 2011 after the hailstorm battered crop in the area where these machines were installed.

Congress had alleged corruption in this project and included the matter in its chargesheet then. Later when Congress took over reins of the state, the probe was initiated. The vigilance bureau investigated the matter and registered a case against then mission director of National Horticulture Mission.

The present government endorsed the anti-hail nets instead of such guns, which were not scientifically proven. Some farmers imported anti-hail cannons on their own but those too were couldn’t yield results.

WHAT WAS THE PLAN?

The previous BJP government had also prepared a project, worth ₹374 crore, to install 300 anti-hail cannons across the state.

But the project was dumped by the current government citing it as 'futile' exercise and also vigilance probe was ordered into the pilot project.

COST STATISTICS

When these guns were installed, the cover of these guns was around one kilometre.

The government project was of ₹3.29 crore while the villagers of Baghi, Bakhol and Maraog installed the anti-hail cannons at the cost of ₹1.2 crore. The gun shots costed ₹5 -7 lakh for three months.