RANCHI, India, May 7 -- Jharkhand High Court issued the following order on April 6:

1. 1. Heard learned counsel for the parties.

2. This writ petition, filed in purported public interest, seeks the following substantive reliefs:

"a) For issuance of appropriate writ(s)/ order(s)/direction(s) directing the concerned respondents- to conduct inquiry into the corruption, irregularities and embezzlement of public money committed in construction of Solid Waste Management, Brick Making Machine Plant, Compost Plant Shed, etc. in relation to the NITUDD/NPC.05/453/2017-18 floated by Chakuliya Nagar Panchayat.

b) For issuance of appropriate writ(s)/ order(s)/direction(s) directing the respondent no. 5 to conduct an investigation into the corruption, irregularities and embezzlement of public money committed in construction of Solid Waste Management, Brick Making Machine Plant, Compost Plant Shed, etc. in relation to the NITUDD/NPC.05/453/2017-18 floated by Chakuliya Nagar Panchayat."

3. Mr. A.K. Das, learned counsel for the petitioner, however, submits that the petitioner's main interest is to ensure that the solid waste management plant, brick making machine plant, compost plant shed etc. are fully operational and deal with the solid management issues that arise at Chakulia Nagar Panchayat.

4. The pleadings alleging corruption, irregularities and embezzlement of public money are quite vague, and the direction to conduct an investigation into such matters is more in the nature of seeking a roving inquiry. Therefore, rightly, this writ petition was now restricted to ensure that the solid waste management plant etc. is functional for the purposes for which it was installed or established.

5. This Court, from time to time, passed several orders to ascertain the status of the functionality of the said plant. Based on those orders, several steps appear to have been taken regarding the functioning of the said plant.

6. Mr Piyush Chitresh, learned A.C. to A.G. and Mr Ashish Kumar Thakur, learned counsel for the respondent No. 7 (the party who has established the plant), submit that the plant is fully functional, except for the brick-making machine component. They submit that the plant is to operate over a period of 20 years, and at present, the nature of raw material/waste collected from the Nagar Panchayat area is insufficient for casting bricks. However, they submit that the plant is otherwise fully functional, and this Panchayat has also received awards from neutral agencies on the subject of solid waste management.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=tuqye3PhFs%2BBDn75ghiOpKnUVRSUP5kqNX7aHjREUfclbSDi1MbPr1SIj8iDVahG&caseno=WPC/2049/2023&cCode=1&cino=JHHC010131612023&state_code=7&appFlag=)

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