news details |
|
|
| Chief Secretary resists loot, plunder of forests; seeks 'mapped work done' details | | Non-approval of APOs | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Sept 4: Chief Secretary Madhav Lal's refusal to approve annual plans of operations (APOs) of Compensatory Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has more to do with pouring in of reports of loot and plunder of forest wealth from various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
These disturbing reports are reaching Civil Secretariat without any break despite the introduction of CAMPA, said the sources. Chief Secretary Madhav Lal, who is known for adhering to rules and regulations besides resisting unnecessary political pressure, refused to believe in the cooked up stories of forest officials about work done by them for the conservation of forests and wildlife.
He has, according to sources repeatedly told PCCF Vinod Ranjan not to allow corrupt and inefficient to rule the roost in the Forest department. Seeking to keep corruption under check, Madhav Lal had refused to approve the annual plans stating that the officers of the Forest Department had seemingly prepared the annual plans of operation without proper application of mind, said the sources.
Intent seemed merely release of funds, Chief Secretary is learnt to have commented during the 5th meeting of the steering committee of CAMPA held on July 31, 2012 in Srinagar. He had pointed out that the officers of forest department had not depicted the locations on the location map where plantation had been done by them during the year 2010-11, 2011-12 and those proposed for 2012-13.
Madhav Lal had further pointed towards complaints of non-compliance of guidelines which had to be adhered to while utilizing funds placed at the disposal of CAMPA for enhancing forest and tree cover alongwith conservation of wildlife. He had asked the forest officers to reduce cost of fencing component as far as possible without compromising with the future survival of the plantations.
Sources said that Madhav Lal has verbally made it clear to the forest officers that t is fencing component of funds meant for plantation and conservation of wildlife where chance of misuse of funds is highest. He asked the officers to come up well-prepared and stop taking short-circuit routes, said an official who was present during the meeting. Chief Secretary advised the officers to replace 'Chain Link Fencing with square PCC posts or wooden posts to reduce overall fencing cost.
Madhav Lal had asked the senior officers to direct the field officers to revive practice of preparing tour diaries, progress reports and allied documents. He had appointed towards complaints of field officers sending fabricated reports of the plantation carried out from the funds released by CAMPA. Sources said that he had further made a mention of field officers not visiting the areas where different works are going on while adding 'yet they preparing the bills and getting funds released.'
He had blamed the ineffective administrative control of forest ministry for poor implementation of various plantation and wildlife preservation works going on under CAMPA, said the sources.
This 'extraordinary' interest of Madhav Lal, who was Forest Secretary during the Amarnath Land agitation, has even irked Forest Minister Mian Altaf. Sources said that Forest minister considers the 'actions' of Madhav Lal especially the verbal comments unnecessary interference. They maintained that Altaf and Madhav Lal were already at loggerheads since the day senior-most IFS officer Vinod Ranjan took over as Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) in January 2012.
Altaf wanted another IFS officer A.K.Srivastva, who is presently Inspector General (IG) Forest and Wildlife in the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment, to head the forest department. Madhav Lal ensured that his batch mate and close friend Vinod Ranjan gets the top job. The day Kundal Panel indicted and tainted IFS officer R.D.Tiwari retired i.e. December 31, 2011; Madhav Lal issued an order, appointing Ranjan as acting PCCF of Forest Department. Sources said that Altaf protested and sought rescinding of the order. But he was told in clear terms by the Chief Minister's office that seniority rule would not be violated in any case, added sources.
They disclosed that despite this, Altaf made knee-deep efforts to get Srivastva appointed as PCCF but to no avail. "Chief Secretary stonewalled every effort of Altaf and ensured that Vinod Ranjan is appointed as PCCF. This is main cause of anguish. Forest Minister's view was not taken while appointing Ranjan as HOD of forest department," added the sources. They affirmed that refusal to approve APOs has added salt to the wounds of Forest Minister.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
