Anyone dealing in public affairs should not have personal interests: Supreme Court

New Delhi, April 3 (PTI): An individual who deals in public affairs should not have any personal interest and should not extend benefits to someone in close proximity, the Supreme Court said on Monday. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra made the observation during the hearing of a plea filed by the Orissa Olympic Association (OOA) against a High Court order directing the state government to take possession of encroached government land adjoining Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium and asked the state police’s crime branch to investigate the incident. The top court, in its judgement, held the OOA guilty of encroaching government land for raising constructions near the stadium and ordered the district administration to take possession of the 23 shops and a marriage hall. It slammed Asirbad Behera, General Secretary of the Orissa Olympic Association, for his conduct and held him guilty of conflict of interest as his son was a partner in a firm which was given the contract to run the marriage hall. In the instant case, the son of the Secretary of association is a partner in the firm that had been given the contract.