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| VO seeks de novo probe into fund fraud | | Top Forest officer in soup again | |
Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 2: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, A K Singh (IFS) is in the soup again as the Vigilance Organization has asked the Forest Department to reinvestigate a case of alleged fund embezzlement involving him.
In his communiqué to Chief Commissioner/Secretary, Government General Administrative Department on May 21 this year, the DIG (Vigilance) demanded reinvestigation into the complaint against Singh, the then Chief Wildlife Warden and others allegedly involved in the embezzlement.
The DIG has made it clear that during the course of investigation by the Vigilance on a source report into the allegations that Wildlife Warden Wetlands, Srinagar, Abdul Rouf Zargar, in league with others, has shown false expenditure of over Rs 30 lakh on the purchase of electronic gadgets.
Singh, then Chief Wildlife Warden who is now holding the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, is also alleged to be a party in the purchase of the gadgets.
The communiqué, copy of which is in possession of Early Times, also reveals that Zargar stole electronic gadgets like camera/video cameras and laptops from the stores during his posting in Kargil and Anantnag.
The DIG Vigilance has expressed dismay over the departmental enquiry conducted through an enquiry committee constituted by then the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) vide order No. WLP (Estt)/2003/1780-84 dated 13-09-2013.
"Enquiry report received by this office reveals that the procedure for conducting departmental enquiry as laid down in the classification Control and Appeal Rules and Public servant Enquiry Act hasn't been adopted while conducting the enquiry into the matter by the concerned department," the DIG has said.
"As such I am directed to request you to kindly direct the concerned department to initiate de novo enquiry into the matter and share the outcome of the matter with this office at an earliest," he adds in the communiqué.
Meanwhile, the Additional Secretary to GAD on June 26 forwarded the DIG Vigilance's letter to Principal Secretary to Forest Department and has asked him to initiate action.
However, sources told Early Times that the department hasn't yet initiated a reinvestigation into the fund embezzlement. "Irony is that at a time when government has removed about 60 officials with doubtful credentials and has waged a war against the corruption, it is showing reluctance in reinvestigating this particular case in which big guns are involved," said a senior official, pleading anonymity.
The Principal Secretary Forests, Environment and Ecology did not respond to repeated calls from Early Times for his comment.
However, Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Bali Bhagat said that they are bound to investigate the matter if the Vigilance has asked for it.
"This is an official matter, we can't bypass or ignore such communications, and I think the department is bound to reinvestigate the matter," Bhagat said. |
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