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| Enquiry deadline expires, action delayed | | Illegal felling of Khair trees around IIT Jammu | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 8: An enquiry committee constituted by the office of Divisional Forest Officer Jammu has found illegal felling of Khair trees around Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu and had sought explanation from the ground staff for its inactiveness.
According to the documents available with Early Times, the office of Range Forest Officer Jammu Forest Range Jammu vide order number 169-70/JR dated 18/6/2021 had sought explanation from two employees namely Vinay Kumar the then Block Officer Nagrota-1 and Rashid Mohammad Forest Guard.
The explanation from these two employees was sought by the Range Forest Officer Jammu following an enquiry committee report, constituted vide the office of Range Officer Jammu No. 55/JR dated 15/4/2021, wherein 13 number of Khair trees were reported to be illegally felled from Compartment number 4/N in village Jhari around IIT Jammu.
As the field staff is the ears and eyes of the Department and their entitled duty is to inform the department about damage to the forests but the enquiry committee had found that the office of Range Forest Officer Jammu had not received any damage report about felling of Khair trees. “Both of you are hereby called to explain for non reporting the matter and your reply to the explanation must reach this office within three days time positively otherwise it may be presumed that you have nothing to say in this regard and action as warranted will be initiated against you”, the explanation reads.
The Range Office had given only 3 days time for explanation but after the lapse of over two weeks no action had been taken against any of the employees by the department.
However on July 6, 2021 when Early Times had contacted the Range Forest Officer Jammu Amir Raza, he told that enquiry against the employees is still undergoing and action would be taken soon.
On 8th of July 2021, when Range Forest Officer Jammu Amir Raza was again contacted he informed that both the employees have been placed under suspension following his recommendation for the same on to the higher ups on July 6.
Asked about the official order of suspension of the two employees, he refused to share the same, citing departmental compulsions.
“The department remained silent for two weeks and only when the media enquired about the same, action was initiated”, a senior official said, adding that all the enquiry committees constituted by the department should upload their findings on official website of the department, so that transparency could be maintained. |
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