Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued a show-cause notice to the state government for allegedly showing undue favour to some private companies from other states in procurement of bio fertilizers.
Acting on a petition filed in this regard, Justice JP Das Saturday set a week’s deadline for the state government to submit its report.
According to sources, the bio fertilisers were procured by the Panchayati Raj Department of the state government under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The department had issued a notification regarding procurement of bio fertilisers April 12 this year.
As per the notification, private firms within the state were required to fulfil 12 criteria laid down by the state government in order to be eligible to supply organic manures. However, the government had allegedly relaxed the norms for firms from outside the state. The notification clearly mentioned that the firms from other states need to have a valid licence for at least one year to be eligible supplying organic manure.
Opposing the alleged discrimination, Shakti Prasad Hota and others moved the Orissa High Court. The petitioners had contended that the state government should encourage local firms, which are providing employment to youths by engaging them in production of organic manures. Instead, the state government included outside firms in the procurement process with alleged vested interest.
The petitioners had sought the intervention of the HC. Senior lawyer Jasobanta Das and Bharati Das prosecuted the case on behalf of the petitioners.
PNN