Departmental action against 3 forest officials in Punjab
Chandigarh, May 2
The Punjab Forest Department has decided to initiate departmental action against three of its officials for serious lapses in grant of permit for felling of 6,000 ‘khair’ trees, besides illegal felling of 117, as detected by the Vigilance Bureau. The action comes on the recommendations of the Chief Conservator of Forest (Hills).
The action initiated against Range Forest Officer Baljinder Singh, Block Forest Officer Jai Singh and Forest Guard Balwinder Singh comes almost a year after the Punjab Vigilance Commissioner wrote to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab, to act against officials indicted by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau for serious lapses in large-scale illegal felling of khair trees in Mirzapur forest (Mohali).
The action had been proposed in addition to the recovery of Rs 9,03,340 from the offenders as compensation for illicit felling and regular enquiry against the Block Officer and Forest Guard started in December 2020 based on the show-cause notices issued by the Conservator of Forest, Shivalik Circle.
The Vigilance had recommended action against seven department officials, including a Forest Range Officer, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Mohali, and Conservator (Shivalik Circle). However, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Hills) had not recommended action against the Conservator (Shiwalik Circle) and the DFO.
The Vigilance Bureau in a communication to Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retd), Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Punjab, on June 22, 2021, pointed out probe by its flying squad at the felling site in May revealed serious lapses in issuing of permits for felling of nearly 6,000 ‘khair’ trees in 2020. The Vigilance also detected illicit feeling of 117 trees.
The Forest Department issued six permits for felling of 900 trees against each permit on January 22, 2020, and March 13, 2020, and immediate felling took place. Subsequently, Vigilance initiated a probe after getting information about anomalies in the felling.
Felling of khair trees
- The three are accused of serious lapses in grant of permit for felling of 6,000 ‘khair’ trees, besides illegal felling of 117, as detected by Vigilance Bureau in Mirzapur forest (Mohali)
- This comes a year after the Vigilance Commissioner wrote to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to act against officials indicted by the Vigilance Bureau for serious lapses
