HUDCO scam: SC asks Centre to file ATR
The Supreme Court directed the Centre to specify the action it was taking on the recommendations of Central Vigilance Commission against the persons allegedly involved in Rs 14,500 crore HUDCO loan scam.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre to specify the action it was taking on the recommendations of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) against the persons allegedly involved in Rs 14,500 crore HUDCO loan scam during the tenure of Ananth Kumar as the Urban Dvelopment Minister in previous NDA government.
The court said the Centre has to file an Action Taken Report within two months based on the CVC report as whether it was taking departmental action against the erring officials or it was favouring registration of criminal case against them.
A PIL filed in 2004 by an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), had alleged arbitrary sanction of loans by Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and misuse of funds and other facilities of the public sector undertaking by Kumar.
While CPIL counsel Prashant Bhushan submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan that Government should take action as per the recommendation of CVC report, Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh opposed his plea.
The ASG said the Board of Directors of HUDCO would decide what action could be taken against the officials.
He said that the decision should be taken after considering both the CVC report and objection to it.
Bhushan said HUDCO scam could be a good case study as to how the funds of PSUs are looted. He said in the present scam Rs 5,300 crore was sanctioned in an hour without much deliberation.
The CVC gave its findings and recommendations on the amounts advanced by HUDCO to private firms, investments in bonds, alleged misuse of facilities like vehicle, telephone, etc by the senior BJP leader in his capacity as a Minister.
The court said the Centre has to file an Action Taken Report within two months based on the CVC report as whether it was taking departmental action against the erring officials or it was favouring registration of criminal case against them.
A PIL filed in 2004 by an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), had alleged arbitrary sanction of loans by Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and misuse of funds and other facilities of the public sector undertaking by Kumar.
While CPIL counsel Prashant Bhushan submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan that Government should take action as per the recommendation of CVC report, Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh opposed his plea.
The ASG said the Board of Directors of HUDCO would decide what action could be taken against the officials.
He said that the decision should be taken after considering both the CVC report and objection to it.
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Bhushan said HUDCO scam could be a good case study as to how the funds of PSUs are looted. He said in the present scam Rs 5,300 crore was sanctioned in an hour without much deliberation.
The CVC gave its findings and recommendations on the amounts advanced by HUDCO to private firms, investments in bonds, alleged misuse of facilities like vehicle, telephone, etc by the senior BJP leader in his capacity as a Minister.
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