Patna, Feb 5 (IANS) About three dozen state government employees here have been fined for pruning a banyan tree, officials said Thursday.

A security agency has also been fined for pruning the tree inside the premises of the Indira Gandhi Planetarium in Patna, said Atul Sinha, an official of the state science and technology department.

He said class three and four employees of the planetarium have been fined for pruning the tree without permission.

"Class three employees have been fined Rs.1,000 each and class four employees have been fined Rs.500 each," Atul Sinha said.

An agency looking after the gardening in the planetarium premises has also been fined Rs.20,000 and a security agency has been fined Rs.10,000, he said.