Times of India: Nagpur: Saturday, July 21, 2017.
The state information commissioner (SIC), Nagpur, Dilip Dharurkar, has directed Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), a wholly-owned state corporation involved in commercial extraction of timber, to pay Rs2,000 to an RTI activist for delaying information under the RTI.
RTI activist Avinash Prabhune had sought information from the FDCM regarding financial irregularities detected during internal audit between January 1, 2001 and 2015. Instead of making full disclosure, the FDCM provided only partial information to Prabhune. The corporation did not provide any information as to what action was taken against erring officials as was recommended by then chief general manager (CGM) Ashok Sharma.
TOI in October 2015 & December 2016 had reported how FDCM buried the internal audit report and failed to act against officials indicted for financial irregularities.
The RTI information pertains to financial irregularities to the tune of Rs4 crore detected in audit. As a result of pending 1,220 internal audit paras in 40 offices of FDCM across the state, then FDCM managing director SK Sood had formed a four-member committee in 2011 under Sharma. The committee was asked to recommend action against erring officials and preventive measures. After investigating the matter, the committee submitted a report to the MD on August 30-31, 2012. It suggested action against erring officials and also recommended to lodge FIR and complaints with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The committee report states large-scale violations in standard tendering process. It also contains details about wilful omission in agreements which led to financial loss. There were irregularities pertaining to EGS and similar schemes implemented by the FDCM. There was no recovery for losses from contractors in many cases. The report also recommended adoption of special measures in case of retiring employees to ensure dues and terminal benefits are not released without approval of competent authority.
The government was also informed about it through a confidential letter on August 31, 2012. The report was also submitted to then ACS (forests) Swadheen Kshatriya, who is now chief secretary and other top officials.
Instead of taking action based on the Sharma committee report, the then Congress-NCP government set up a review committee on October 11, 2012, stating that the report was prejudiced and biased. The review committee was headed by PCCF and some IFS officials. Shockingly, the review committee has not conducted a single meeting in last five years.
Prabhune, who still has not received information regarding action taken, pursued the matter. As the FDCM did not provide with the information, he approached the SIC.
"It's a classic case of how FDCM mocked the RTI Act by not providing complete information. Documents show irregularities like spending without justification and without prior approval from the authorities. A large number of audit paras highlight serious irregularities with respect to officers on deputation, which needs to be probed," says Prabhune. "I am in process of filing a writ petition before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court for necessary directions," he said.
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