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| All worried over Forest probe | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Sept 16:
Perhaps one and the only low budget and largely non-controversial department, the Forest department has suddenly come into the news in a way as if all ills were confined in this department alone.
With a series of probes ordered by the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the future of denudated Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal has now come to hang in the balance. Even though the Chief Minister had relented by offering the departments back to Qazi when he had rejected his resignation but after PDP's playing to the gallery things have worsened.
Now the Qazi Afzal getting back the forest portfolio appear remote with Chief Minister ordering a probe into the alleged corruption in Jammu and Kashmir's forest department. It is not the Qazi who is worried about the probes but many senior officers the department and Forest contractors are worried about the findings of the probe. While a high level probe ordered by the Chief Minister, the senior officers within the department are also digging for each other to settle the scores.
B.R. Kundal, the senior most additional chief secretary and home commissioner of the state, would head the enquiry into alleged largescale misappropriation of public funds in the forest department.
Qazi was relieved of the portfolio last month after reports of bungling in the department came to the chief minister's knowledge. However, he has been allowed to continue as urban development minister.
Azad added to the confusion by writing to Qazi after he had tendered his resignation from the council of ministers.
In his letter, Azad not only gave a clean chit to Qazi, but also said that the forest portfolio would be restored to him after 'It was cleaned by him'.
Speaking to the media here Sunday, Qazi said: 'The prerogative to relieve a minister of a certain portfolio lies with the chief minister, but I am confident he would soon restore my portfolio as promised by him.'
Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP, had voiced her protest at not being consulted by the chief minister before divesting Qazi of his portfolio. The Congress and the PDP are alliance partners in the government.
Mehbooba had also expressed surprise at the chief minister's decision to allow Qazi to function as urban development minister.
Commented a political analyst: 'The dilemma has now been resolved by the chief minister. By ordering an enquiry into the reported bungling, Azad has bought time to allow the dust to settle.
'This means Qazi won't get back his portfolio, and since he has already submitted his resignation from the council of ministers he cannot morally attend office even though the resignation was not accepted by the chief minister.'
Interestingly, though the controversy revolves around one of the senior leaders of PDP, party sources say patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who is now in the US, has decided not to make Qazi's fate a matter of prestige.
'We feel Qazi Sahib faces a fait accompli. Nothing can be done about it,' PDP sources said.
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