Illegal mining promoted by IFS on deputation in UP : reveals RTI

Web India: Lucknow: Friday, June 15, 2018.

Right to Information Act (RTI) in Uttar Pradesh has exposed how an officer of Indian Forest Services (IFS) of Jammu and Kashmir cadre got himself deputed in the state and indulged in large-scale illegal mining in forest areas in Bijnore.

After an inquiry set up against him following a RTI query revealed large-scale illegal mining, departmental proceedings against the officer was recommended and a chargesheet handed over to him in this regard. However, so far no action has been taken against the officer and only few of his juniors colleagues were suspended.

State Information Commissioner (SIC) Hafiz Usman said here on Thursday that Praveen Kumar Raghav, an IFS officer of J-K cadre (batch 2000), got himself transferred on deputation to UP as divisional forest officer (DFO) in Bijnore forest range, Najibabad.

Last year, an RTI application was filed against the officer that he was patronising illegal mining in the forest range under his jurisdiction.

Later, the SIC ordered an inquiry into the matter by forest conservator of Moradabad. The SIC added that an on the-spot inquiry was made along with the staff of Kaudiya forest range and it surfaced that in the 3.50 kilometres length of the Sukru river flowing through the forest, heavy mining of natural resources was carried out by the mafia. The probe team also found that besides taking out 1,50,675 square metres of stone, the mafia also mined sand and other material from the river banks worth several crore of rupees.

After the shocking findings, forest conservator of Moradabad issued a show cause notice to Raghav seeking explanation on the issue. However, Raghav did not deem it fit to file a reply. Later, the inquiry officer recommended departmental proceedings and stern action against him. Besides Raghav, action was also recommended against then deputy divisional forest officer Harendra Singh, forest inspectors Komal Singh, Hridesh Singh and VK Goel, and forest ranger Dinesh Kumar Goyal as they too were found to be in cahoots. Komal Singh, Hridesh Singh and VK Goel were also suspended. The SIC claimed that the chargesheet to accused officials were issued more than six months back and they had been asked to reply within a fortnight. The SIC had also written to the Forest department brass on what further action was being taken.