Lapses in trees felling permits, no action against officials indicted by Punjab Vigilance Bureau

Rajmeet Singh
Chandigarh, April 27

Almost a year after the Punjab Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) wrote to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to act against officials who were indicted by the Vigilance Bureau for serious lapses in the large-scale illegal felling of trees in Mirzapur forest (Mohali), the Forest Department seems to be dithering on the matter.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau, in a communication to CVC Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retd), on June 22, 2021, pointed out that a probe by its flying squad at the felling site in May revealed serious lapses in the issuance of permits for felling of nearly 6,000 khair trees in 2020 in the area falling under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900. The vigilance also detected illegal feeling of 117 trees.

The Forest Department issued six permits for felling of nearly 900 trees against each permit on January 22, 2020 and March 13, 2020. Subsequently, the vigilance initiated a probe after getting information about anomalies in the felling.

Seven Forest Department officials, including a Forest Range Officer, Mohali Divisional Forest Officer and the Conservator (Shivalik Circle) were indicted for serious lapses while granting tree-felling permits. The vigilance report revealed procedural lapses like forest officials not marking the trees, non-verification of the marking sites, axed trees being moved out after the expiry of permit period during the Covid lockdown period, and wrong statement with regard to illegal felling of trees.

Even after detecting illegal felling, the Conservator failed to take timely action against the erring forest guard and the block forest officer. They were just issued a show-cause notice, the vigilance report pointed out. The officials named in the vigilance probe included Forest Guard Balwinder Singh, Block Forest Officer Jai Singh, Forest Range Officer Baljinder Singh, Divisional Forest Officer Guraman Preet Singh and Conservator (Shivalik Circle) Vishal Chauhan.

After much delay, then PCCF Vidya Bhushan wrote to then CCF (Hills) Saurabh Gupta on July 12, 2021, seeking his comments on the vigilance report. The then CCF (Hills) wrote back to the then PCCF, stating the lapses were of serious nature and the later was the competent authority to act against senior officers indicted by the vigilance. After Parveen Kumar took over as the PCCF, he wrote on October 26, 2021, to then CCF (Hills) Mahavir Singh, seeking the case file to decide the future course of action.

Felling of 6,000 khair trees

• The Vigilance Bureau found serious lapses in issuance of permits for felling of nearly 6,000 khair trees in Mirzapur forest, Mohali, in 2020. It also detected illegal felling of 117 trees
• The vigilance probe indicted a Forest Range Officer, Mohali Divisional Forest Officer and the Conservator (Shivalik circle)

‘Will check facts’

When asked about the delay in acting against the erring officials, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab, Parveen Kumar, said he would revert after checking the facts of the case