Nine officials indicted in report on illegal quarrying

The Forest department, which has prepared draft charge sheets against nine of its officials for allowing alleged illegal quarrying in Kanakapura taluk as pointed out in the U V Singh report, has forwarded them to the State government to take suitable action.

Six years ago senior forest officer U V Singh submitted his report citing gross violations of the Forest Conservation Act and the Karnataka Forest Act in Kanakapura. But the government, for reasons best known to it, did not act against these officials, many of whom have occupied plum posts, while one of them has retired.

Singh had established that illegal quarrying was thriving in the taluk only because it was “encouraged” by the department officials, who had allowed 189 such lessees to carry out illegal activities within and around the forests. He had recommended that these officials be suspended pending inquiry.

A K Varma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said six months ago the department had specifically posted Deputy Conservator of Forests Takhat Singh Ranawat to Ramanagara district to unearth sordid affairs in the taluk. The draft charge sheet had been sent to the government to take action two weeks ago.

Admitting that there has been an inordinate delay in taking action, he said: “But, I don’t see any reason for inaction. Until now, the field level officers weren’t forthcoming and the investigations had remained incomplete. There has also been negligence on the part of senior level officers. That is precisely why a new officer was brought in to streamline things,” he said.

Ranawat, in two separate charge sheets dated April 20 and July 4, has held nine officials, including Forest Secretary and APCCF M Nagaraj Hamphole responsible for the violations. He has charged them with “misconduct, causing loss to the government, giving false information and violation of Forest Conservation Act”.

The officials who have been chargesheeted together have issued over 30 no objection certificates (NOCs) for lessees to carry out illegal quarrying in both the reserve and deemed forests of Kanakapura. Only an officer of the DCF rank is authorised to issue NOCs to lessees.

However, in the case of Kanakapura, officials ranking as low as ‘forester,’ ‘RFO’ and ‘ACF’ have issued NOCs, in violation of norms.  

It is the political rivalry between Forest Minister Yogeeshwara and Congress MLA D K Shivakumar that forced the Forest department to re-open all the cases and take fresh cognisance of the matter.