BABLOO KUMAR Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS petition has been preferred mainly for the reasons that a sizable amount has been sanctioned by the Central Government vide order dated August, 2012, but, till date, the amount, which is sanctioned by His Excellency the President of India, has not been utilized by the State. For as many as 34 tourist places, the amount has been sanctioned and the work is to be completed by the State and/ or by the India Tourism Development Corporation. In detail, all these works to be carried out at different tourist places in the State of Jharkhand as has been pointed out by the counsel for the petitioner. For each and every place, a separate amount has been sanctioned, but, there is a very slow progress of this work to be done and at various places, there is a nil progress, and therefore, the counsel for the petitioner, seeking suitable directions upon the respondent so that some bare minimum work can be carried out on or before 26th January, 2014 as this is a season for the tourists and the rest of the work may be properly monitored by the Monitoring Committee as envisaged in the Clause 5 and 14 of the Destination Development Circuit Scheme floated by the Central Government vide order dated 9th Aug. 2012 ( Annexure CA III of the counter affidavit filed by the State).

(2.) WE have heard the counsel for the respondents who has submitted that it is true that under the Destination Development Circuit Scheme, His Excellency the President of India has sanctioned for development of Ranchi Saraikella Kharswan Purvi Singhbhum a Mega Circuit, Jharkhand. As many as 38 points, Rs.1253 Crores and in total it has been mentioned that the development to be made at Zonha Falls, Chandil Dam, Hundru Falls, Jagannath Temple, Chutia Ram Mandir, Devri Mandir and such other places of tourism. There are as many as 34 such places as enumerated in the Scheme. The detailed provisions have been made by the India Tourism Development Corporation (Respondent No.17) to execute the progress and the same will be monitored by the Secretary, Tourism, Government of Jharkhand, who will be the nodal officer as per the Clause 5. There is also a direction to the State to form a Monitoring Committee as per the Clause 14 of this Policy. It has also been stated in Clause 13 that the India Tourism Development Corporation (Respondent No.17) will not keep the amount released by the Central Government unutilized for more than six months. Thus, the project should be completed without any delay. Similarly, is the condition No.8 that quarterly statement of progress of work is to be given by the India Tourism Development Corporation. Looking to the terms of this grant of the amount to the State, it appears that golden thread running through out the scheme, is a speedy work which should be completed for the development of the tourist places in the State of Jharkhand.

(3.) THERE are several places, where the tourists can be attracted, for which, the minimum work is being prescribed under the Scheme, but, it appears that because of the indifferent approach of the High ranking officers of the State of Jharkhand as well as the indifferent approach of the India Tourism Development Corporation, respondent No.17, the work has not yet been completed at all. The light and sound programme at Deoghar has been shown as completed and an amount of more than Rupees One Crore has been paid, but, the officers, who are present in the Court, saying that still it is yet to be commenced for the public at large. Public has not seen the light nor has heard any music of this light and sound programme and the bills must have been raised and paid as per the affidavit filed before this Court. The government should throw some light upon this type of project. It is submitted by the learned Addl. Advocate General that the work of the light and sound show of Shilpgram at Deoghar is under progress. Now, we have perused the affidavit filed by the State and at page no.36 of the affidavit, it has been stated that the amount of Rs.1,37,34,415/ have already been utilized and only a small work of Rs.2,65,585/ is yet to be done. Thus, even after spending this much of amount, still the government and the India Tourism Development Corporation is submitting that the public will hear the sound and will see the light at the end of January, 2014. For Kanke Dam Project, also there is a similar project of light and sound, but it is submitted by the officer of the India Tourism Development Corporation, who is present in the Court, that the same will also be completed at the end of April, 2014.