Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 21: The state vigilance commission (SVC), while taking a serious note of the alleged smuggling and illicit damage caused to the Bijbehara forests by some notorious persons in connivance with the officials of forest department, has summoned the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF).
SVC had already with it the reports of inquiries earlier conducted by the range officer and the technical officer concerned as regards the alleged illicit damage inflicted on the forests in compartment No 18/L of South Circle Range, Bijbehara. The reports prima-facie revealed that officials of the concerned forest division, including forester, deputy forester, block officer, forest guard and others had misused their official position by indulging in corrupt practices by not only abetting the offence of smuggling but had themselves also sold the timber to some private saw mills and contractors by allegedly taking illegal gratification from them which amounts to criminal breach of trust on their part. SVC sought action taken report (ATR) from the PCCF in the light of the order issued by the conservator of forests, south circle range, Bijbehara, vide order No 58 of July 23, 2008 in this regard.
SVC found that the PCCF's ATR, submitted along with some record through his law officer, divulged half-baked stories leaving many questions unanswered particularly reasons for not making recoveries, for not registering the FIR and not taking administrative action and making adverse entries in the service records of involved officials as was recommended by the conservator of forests, south circle range, Bijbehara.
Taking a serious note of the apparent sheltering of the accused by the higher authorities of forest department, SVC summoned PCCF to explain his report and record submitted thereto on the next date of hearing. |
