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| ‘Political interference led to revocation of J&K Forest Corporation Act’ | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 22: The decision by Union Government to repeal the Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Corporation Act 1978 was reportedly taken to stop political interference in the functioning of the Corporation.
The Union government in the on 31st March, 2020 had issued a gazetted notification in exercise of the powers conferred by section 96 of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 20199 (34 of 2019) had repealed as whole the Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Corporation Act 1978. Since then no further development about the future of the employees and officials has been taken, putting a question mark on the future of the employees of the corporation.
Sources in the Forest department informed that apart from making other constitutional changes in the Jammu and Kashmir, the Union government had taken serious note of the excessive political interference in the working of the Corporations including Forest Corporation.
In the erstwhile J&K State the Forest Minister used to be the Chairman of the Corporation as per Act of 1978, while the Vice- Chairman was also appointed by the ruling party. He usually used to be a worker of a political party or office bearer. Many appointments in the Corporation have been made by the Corporation itself and not by the premier bodies of the state such as Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission or Service Selection Board.
“At present hundreds of employees are working in the Forest Corporation but in many selections, political interference had played its role as some employees were also engaged through backdoor channels, on the recommendations of the some politicians in the successive regimes”, sources alleged. Pertinently the State Vigilance Organization in the year 2018 had also booked a Managing Director of the Corporation over the allegations of making 212 backdoor appointments.
Sources further divulged that the financial health of the Corporation also remained fragile throughout the years due to the political interference but many people, contractors who were close to the successive governments, had made fortunes with the exploitation of the forest produce but the Corporation incurred losses.
The Union Government had taken strong exception to the political interference and had repealed the Act. “The Forest Corporation Act of 1978 has been repealed but the State Forest Corporation will continue to exist likely to under a new arrangement. In all other states of the country, Forest Corporations have been working and have been making profits but majority of them don’t have political interference in their functioning as it was in the functioning of JK Forest Corporation”, sources said, adding that the Union Government is likely to re-constitute the Corporation, in which there would be no political interference.
Sources further said that the decision in this regard would have come by now but the government due to the outbreak of COVID-19 the process has got delayed . “The Union government has already allocated some funds for the functioning of the Corporation and a decision will be taken for its further functioning soon”, sources said.
Commissioner Secretary Forest Department, Sarita Chouhan didn’t pick up the phone for comments. However an official, pleading anonymity said that the process has been initiated and soon the new arrangement would be announced. |
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