Mysuru: The Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KAT) has upheld the ‘show-cause notice’, issued by Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Social Forestry, Chamarajanagar division, on August 25, 2023, regarding a few dependencies in the implementation of government programmes.
The DCF in question, G Y Raju, now DCF, Mandya Territorial division, had filed an application before the KAT, praying to quash the show cause notice, along with the charge memo, issued by Chamarajanagar ZP CEO.
MNREGA target
The CEO had stated that Raju did not achieve the target of ‘Koti Vruksha Abhiyana’ (one crore trees campaign) of planting saplings, under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), in the year 2022-23.
The second accusation was that Raju has been negligent and lethargic, as he had achieved only 5.58 per cent of the target, in creating one lakh human days under MNREGA, in the year 2023-2024, till mid-August of 2023, for conserving soil and water.
Explanation
Raju had submitted his ‘explanation in defence’ to the CEO on September 4, 2023, seeking to drop the charges against him. He had stated that he is a Group-A officer and his appointing authority is the Government. “Thus, the charge memo is issued by an incompetent authority/person (person lower in rank than the appointing authority) and therefore the whole enquiry proceedings are vitiated,” he had explained.
Later he appealed to KAT. Chairman of the Tribunal, judge R B Budihal, has stated that the applicant (Raju) has failed to make out a case for quashing of the charge memo, in the order issued on March 6, 2024.
Order
“However, the respondent authorities – Additional Chief Secretary for Forest, Ecology and Environment; Additional Chief Secretary for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests; and Chamarajanagar ZP CEO – are directed to furnish the documents mentioned in Anubandha 3 (annexure) of the charge memo, within one month from the date of receipt of the copy of the order, giving 15 days time to the applicant (Raju), to submit his additional reply to the charge memo and thereafter only, the enquiry proceedings have to be proceeded with,” the order of the judge states.
A senior officer in the Forest department said, there are a few more issues, into which probe can be held against Raju.
Other violation
“G Y Raju has given permission to a saw mill that was operating in Maddur taluk (Doddarsinakere village), to be transferred to Malavalli taluk on May 3, 2024. However, the transferred saw mill is within 10 km radial distance of Kadukothanahalli forest, at Nelamakanahalli, in violation of 163 (2-A) under Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969,” the officer said.
Reacting to DH, Raju said, he will appeal against the order of the KAT, before the High Court. “The ZP CEO did not have adequate information, if she could take action against me or not. Besides, MNREGA is not a target-oriented scheme, under the Forest department,” he said.
Present ZP CEO Anand Prakash Meena said, he joined in September 2023 and he will get information on the issue, from his office.