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| J&K prefers silencing dissent over implementing SC directive | | Even after 3 years | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 28: Despite continuing loot and plunder of the state forests, Babus in the forest secretariat have preferred silencing dissent over increasing transparency and accountability of the officers working in various wings of the department.
An officer was brought out of “till further orders” order and posted as Conservator Forest Vigilance Jammu and Kashmir seemingly to appease him and prevent him from further approaching the Supreme Court against the thorough non-implementation of its order dated February 26, 2007 by the state government.
This assumption gets further strengthened from the fact that vigilance wing is yet to come up in the state forest department. Moreover, while the officials required for the effective functioning of this wing which is yet to be created have not been appointed, head of the wing has already been posted for the reasons best known to the state government.
Since the said officer had threatened to move a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against the staggered and whimsical attitude of the state government, he was adjusted as CF Vigilance and urged to stop going for further litigations, said officials in the forest secretariat. It is important to mention here that the officer is regarded as one of the extremely dedicated, honest and upright officer.
Since his posting as Conservator in some other wing would have meant a full stop to the illegality, he was given a posting which has relevance if the wing is established in the department, added the officials. They maintained that the wing was created in the year 2006 by the central government for keeping a close and guarded eye on the overall functioning of the forest department.
Posting of an upright and honest IFS officer as CF Vigilance at this juncture when the wing is non-existent speaks in volumes about the preferences of the state government and its seriousness towards putting curbs on those looting the forest wealth. Moreover, it has reliably learnt that the officer is yet to be alloted space for an office in the department.
The officer was transferred and posted as Conservator Forest (Vigilance) on December 3, 2008 through an order issued by the then State Advisory Council of Governor N.N.Vohra with the consent of Election Commission of India. Earlier, he had been ordered to report to the office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest on June 15, 2006 from his earlier place of posting as Joint Director Soil Conservation Jammu.
Thereafter, he could never return to serve the department for around two years and it was during the Governor’s rule in 2008 when he was appointed as CF (Vigilance). Officials in the forest secretariat maintain that state government is still in no mood to respect the order of the Supreme Court since its implementation would mean retirement for some its illegitimate beneficiaries.
They added that these officers include five to six blue-eyed ones who have connections both in the bureaucratic and political circles. One of these officers has been a classmate of former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and is currently enjoying a prize posting despite having crossed the age limit of remaining in service.
Sources said that an officer who had been placed under suspension for a serious act of illegality has been reinstated. They added that his reinstatement is a direct result of his proximity with some congress leaders. “If the order is implemented, this officer becomes ineligible for his present place of posting. Similar is the case with some other officers figuring in the list,” added an officer of the forest secretariat.
He stressed that implementation of the Judgement would have helped in streamlining the department but its non-implementation merits a stern warning from the highest court of the country. It is important to mention here that Supreme Court (SC) on February 26, 2007 directed the state government to quash the select list of 1995 and prepare a fresh select list of the then officers of Kashmir Forest Services (KFS) for induction into Indian Forest Services (IFS).
A review petition over the judgement filed by the state government was also dismissed by Supreme Court. The Judgement had been pronounced by a bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justice S.B.Sinha and Justice Markandey Katju.
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