The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a news article that alleges a large-scale scam in the installation of solar street lights in various villages of Chhattisgarh.
The article, published on December 25, claims that funds were misused and solar street lights were installed at inflated prices.
The court, led by Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, considered the issue serious because it involved a significant amount of public money.
According to the report, between 2021 and 2023, solar street lights were installed in several villages at a cost of Rs. 47,600 per light, with a total of Rs. 17.23 crore spent in the Bastar Division alone.
The court heard arguments from Raj Kumar Gupta, Additional Advocate General for the state, and Devershi Thakur, the lawyer for the Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA).
Thakur argued that the procurement process for the solar lights was improper and that CREDA should have handled the entire tender process, which did not happen.
The court has ordered the Chairman and Secretary of the Energy Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, to file a personal affidavit explaining the alleged irregularities and misuse of funds.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 9.
Also Read: 24-year-old from Chhattisgarh wins Indian army job
Follow us
