The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a news article alleging a massive scam in the installation of solar street lights in various villages of Chhattisgarh.
The news report, published on December 25, 2024, claimed authorities had misused funds and installed solar street lights at exorbitant prices.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal considered the matter serious, as it involved a huge amount of public money.
The news report stated that between 2021 and 2023, solar street lights were installed in various villages at a cost of Rs. 47,600 per light, with a total of Rs. 17.23 crore being utilised in the Bastar Division alone.
The court heard arguments from Raj Kumar Gupta, Additional Advocate General for the State, and Devershi Thakur, counsel for the Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA).
Thakur submitted that the procurement process for the solar street lights was not proper and that the entire tender process should have been done through CREDA, which was not done.
The court directed the Chairman and Secretary, Energy Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, to file a personal affidavit explaining the irregularities and misuse of funds alleged in the news report.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 9, 2025.
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