Dereliction of duty: BR Hills ACF suspended

Biligiriranga Wild Life Sanctuary sub-division Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) T Shivashankaraswamy has been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty.

Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology H C Rajendra Kumar has ordered the suspension of the ACF for his lapses in delivering the duty. The ACF, along with the authorities of a private estate, is accused of involvement in a tree smuggling case.

It is accused that hundreds of silver oak trees in Punajanur Forest Range, under BR Hill Tiger Reserve, were smuggled by the authorities of Emerald Estate with the help of the ACF on October 5. However, the case of smuggling came to light a couple of days later. So, Chamarajanagar Forest Circle, Conservator of Forests (CF) had directed Deputy Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry) to conduct an investigation against Shivashankaraswamy and Punajanur Range Forest Officer Raghavendra.

Based on the reports submitted by the DCF, the Under Secretary has ordered the suspension of the ACF.