Chandigarh, July 18
The Forest Department has decided not to buy saplings from private nurseries and instead procure these from government-run places.
The order comes after the Vigilance Bureau (VB) probe into a corruption case against former forest ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sangat Singh Gilzian. In its probe, the VB had pointed out that during plantation drives, contractors, without buying any saplings, used to get back 80 per cent of the amount in cash after leaving the remaining 20 per cent with the nursery. This 80 per cent amount was shared among officials, politicians and the contractor, the VB said.
Sources said last year, under a plantation project of the NHAI, nearly one lakh saplings were purchased from private nurseries.
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