RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, April 4: The Jharkhand High Court has sought a reply from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on the allegation of ‘illegal’ appointments of over 9000 employees since its inception in 1956 on the ground of accommodating those in jobs who had been displaced from their land due to the DVC projects.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice S.N.Prasad gave the direction on April 1 after it took up the PIL filed by a social worker and advisor of Adivasi Ghatwa Mahasangh, Ramashrey Singh, for a CBI probe into the matter.
Advocate Vijay Shanker Prasad said that the court has fixed the date of next hearing in the matter on May 6 directing the DVC authorities to file the reply in the matter before that. “There is an allegation of ignoring the direction of the Prime Minister by authorities in the petition. Thus the court while giving direction to file verbally observed the same expressing the strong exception against the situation,” Prasad said while confirming the development.
The PIL had been filed on April 16 in 2019. Those who have been made parties in the case include the chief secretary, home secretary, DGP, superintendent of police of Dhanbad and DVC chairman.
The DVC is the most prominent multipurpose power project of Jharkhand. The corporation operates several thermal plants and hydroelectric dams not only in Jharkhand but also in neighbouring West Bengal. All the stations are networked within the DVC grid, which serves urban and rural areas in both states.
