Budget leak case: notice to Rajasthan Govt.

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, OCT. 20. The Rajasthan High Court has issued ``show cause'' notices to the State Government and the State Finance Minister, Mr.Pradhyumna Singh, on a public interest writ .petition filed on alleged leakage of this year's State Budget. A division bench of the High Court consisting of Mr. Justice S.K.Sharma and Mr.Justice K.S.Rahtore has called for the records in the case.The writ was filed by an Independent MLA, Mr.Surendra Vyas.

The petition, seeking transfer of the case to the CBI for investigation, pointed out that a fair and independent investigation into the matter was not possible by the local police. The Finance Minister himself may be guilty of the leak of portions of the Budget which contained tax proposals,the petition pointed out.

The petition held that Mr.Yashwant Singh (Ramu), an MLA in the Rajasthan Assembly, had brought to the notice of the House before the presentation of the annual Budget of the State for 2000-2001 by the Finance Minister that the tax proposals contained therein had already been leaked and they were with him.

In the petition, Mr.Vyas pointed out that the copy of the leaked pages, tabled by Mr.Yashwant Singh, contained 46 of the 52 proposals dealt with in the Budget speech.Even when a case was registered on the matter at the Ashok Nagar police station in April under Sections 167, 409 and 120 IPC investigations did not make much headway,he said.

Moreover,Mr.Vyas pointed out that the Finance Minister,the then Finance Secretary and the then Special Secretary (Finance) had not been interrogated yet.Heavy taxes were proposed to be levied on the iron and steel sector and to stall the taxes the dealers in the commodity had allegedly influenced the Finance Minister,the petitioner charged.

Mr.Vyas sought transfer of the case to CBI on the plea that the facts were ``completely distorted'' in the FIR in the case.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Axe may fall on DSSB