Patna, Sept. 14: Patna High Court today directed the central and governments to take action against 243 rice mills being illegally run in Rohtas district and submit a report in this regard within two months.
A division bench comprising justices S.K. Katriar and A. Amanullah passed the direction while hearing a PIL filed by Janhit Vikas Morcha president Kumar Binod Singh, seeking action against the rice mills being allegedly run without requisite licence.
The court also directed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to file its reply within two months as the petitioner has alleged FCI’s connivance with the rice mills was leading to a loss to the state exchequer.
The petitioner’s counsel, M.P. Gupta, assisted by Brajesh Kumar, submitted that of 243 fake rice mills being run in Rohtas district, 153 mills do not have factory licence, whereas 160 do not posses pollution control board licence. Another 230 mills do not have Provident Fund registration and 126 and 55 mills do not have PAN and VAT registrations respectively. Gupta submitted that these rice mills are being run by flouting mandatory provisions thus burdening the state exchequer with a loss of crores and also depriving the employees of their mandatory rights.
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