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| Loot in name of eco-tourism: PCCF, ex-Wildlife chief in soup | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 18: Ex-Chief Wildlife Warden and two Chief Wildlife Wardens (CWWs) are in deep trouble as eco-tourism projects have failed to catch eye of the tourists across the state.
According to well placed sources, these three officers in league with some lower rung officials expended funds worth crores of rupees on Markhor Recovery Program as well as on Eco-tourism projects without keeping the provision of revenue realization in their programs and plans.
Sources said that a team of officials of the Forest Department has found out that the three officials as heads of the Wildlife Department spent crores of rupees by carrying out constructions on the name of Eco-Tourism in Mansar, Surinsar, Rajouri, Poonch, Sudh Mahadev, Peer Kee Gali and other spots on the Mughal Road, Sonamarg, Gulmarg and other areas across the state. They spent a huge amount out of Rs.10.7 crore meant for Markhor Recovery Project with no signs of any preservation work done anywhere in the Heerpur Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to sources in the Wildlife Department, an amount of Rs. 10.7 crore had been kept at the disposal of the state Wildlife Department for being utilized for the preservation of endangered Markhor, the largest mountain goat in the world, after the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court recommended to the state to develop Markhor habitats in Pir Panjal forests. As part of "Markhor Recovery Program"; the sanctuaries had to be fenced off, the seasonal occurrence and habitat usage by Markhor had to be studied and monitored, and the degree of competition between livestock and Markhor in terms of use of space, habitat and forage had to be studied.
Besides, the Wildelife Department was supposed to make the migratory herders Gujjars and Bakerwals, aware about the conservation measures. Not only this, Supreme Court had ordered a complete ban on movement through the Markhor habitats in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). However, ex- Forest Minister purely for political reasons disallowed the departmental officials to make the migratory herders Gujjars and Bakerwals understand importance of the Heerpur Wildlife Sanctuary and request them to choose other places for grazing cattle.
He singlehandedly stonewalled every such attempt and the three officials ensured that minister's word is followed, said the sources. They purchased costly photography equipments, vehicles, paid hotel and air travel bills out of the funds meant for preservation of endangered Markhor, sources told Early Times. They said that encroachment which was going on unabated was not stopped at all and instead, the former Minister would snub lower rung officials doing their duty.
It has been found that the funds meant for Markhor preservation have not been utilized for the purpose for which they were meant, sources said. They added that an NGO had already submitted a written complaint to both the Crime Branch as well as State Vigilance Organization seeking probe into the undue expenditure booked under the watch of these three officials. Not only this, sources said that these officials got eco-tourism huts constructed in isolated places along Mughal road and elsewhere without keeping in mind the economic worth of these projects.
They informed Early Times that Eco-Tourism huts in Mansar, Surinsar, Rajouri, Poonch and other areas are all craving for attentions since the same have been constructed without keeping in mind the revenue realization aspect of these huts. Sources said that pre-fabricated huts worth Lakhs of rupees which were installed for tourists near Drubjan, Pir-ki-Gali, Nandansar and Heerpora at Poonch, Rajouri and Shopian districts have got damaged and failed to realize the objective for which they were installed.
These huts earned a meager Rs. 1700 as revenue since they had been installed in a Nullah near Drubjan on the Mughal road, said the sources. "The staff posted in these pre-fabricated huts complained that they have not been paid since last more than 1 year," said an official source.
He added that an SVO probe would help in finding out where the money meant for eco-tourism and Markhor preservation has actually gone. "Let Crime Branch or SVO do a preliminary inquiry. Facts would be shocking," said a senior forest official seeking anonymity.
On being asked, Principal Secretary to Forest, Environment and Ecology Department Rakesh Gupta said "Although I am unaware of these issues. But if there is anything like this, probe would be ordered to find out the facts." |
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