Early Times Report
RAJOURI, Mar 11: It would not be perhaps wrong to say that the Social Forestry Department Rajouri is facing an acute shortage of competent officers, owing to which an influential junior forester has been parachuted as in-charge range officer of two prominent districts.
According to sources, a junior forester in the Social Forestry Department, who has been enjoying his stay in district Rajouri since the past more than ten years, was made in-charge range officer of district Rajouri.
"The influential forester, using his political clout managed to become in-charge range officer in Rajouri and he is in the district since past almost one decade," maintained sources, adding that the junior forester is so much influenced that in the past ten years, no District Forest Officer (DFO) and Director Social Forestry Department have shown any courage to transfer him out of the district.
Sources maintained that throwing merit to winds, the department continued to patronise the influential forester by giving him another prime district to manage.
"He was made in-charge range officer of Jammu district, which shows how powerful and influential this junior forester is," questioned the sources, adding that now the junior forester is handling two prime districts, despite the fact that many senior officers are handling only one district.
If sources are to be believed, the range officer is enjoying complete support of successive DFOs and respective directors.
"Sticking to one place for more than ten years and given special treatment to handle two prime districts, show that DFOs and Director have close relationship with this junior forester," said sources, adding that instead of giving Jammu district to some able officer from the close vicinity, the concerned authorities chose to appoint junior forester from Rajouri to look after two districts, approximately 200 kilometers distant from each other.
When Early Times tried to contact the concerned DFO, he excused, saying he is in a meeting. Whereas, despite repeated attempts, the Director Social Forestry Department was not available for comments. |
