‘State emblem misused for personal favours’

: Some members of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) are ‘fraudulently’ and ‘illegally’ using the State Emblem of India on their letterheads and visiting cards, according to a complaint lodged with the Union environment ministry on May 28.

Maneka Gandhi, Union women and child development minister wrote a letter to Union environment and forest minister, Harsh Vardhan, in this regard last week. “It has been brought to my knowledge that some persons associated with the Animal Welfare Board are openly using the Emblem on their letterheads and visiting cards to influence state governments and extort personal favours from people,” Gandhi wrote in her letter to Vardhan.

As a recent example, Gandhi has cited a letter sent to the Uttarakhand government by Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, a member of AWBI on May 21. The letter states that Ahluwalia would be visiting Rishikesh and Hariwdar. A request was made that he be treated as a state guest.

When contacted Ahluwalia said: “We usually make such requests. It is up to the state government concerned whether they would entertain it or not. The letterhead using the state emblem was printed with permission from the secretary of the board. This is same for everyone.”

SP Gupta chairman of AWBI said: “I have not seen the letter. But this is entirely illegal as only the secretary of the board can make such requests...”

JOYDEEP THAKUR

NEW DELHI