Forest minister: Untenable situation

The appointment of Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh as the Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, despite the fact that he is facing serious charges under the Karnataka Forest Act and for illegal mining, is just another indication of the abysmal depths to which values and morality have plummeted in today’s politics. Singh was among the MLAs who had defected from the Congress-JD(S) coalition, causing the fall of the HD Kumaraswamy government and helping the BJP to rise to power and BS Yediyurappa to become chief minister. In the first place, Singh should not have found a place in the ministry in the light of the grave criminal charges against him. But it is a given that probity in public life has long been thrown to the wind, and it was expected that he would be rewarded with a ministry. Yet, at least, he should not have been allotted a portfolio that presents a direct conflict of interest. Trusting the ecology and environment of the state in the hands of a person who is accused of plundering forests is bizarre.

Singh, who has declared assets of Rs 173 crore in his election affidavit, is facing trial in 15 cases, including three by the CBI. The minister is charged with criminal conspiracy, theft, breach of trust, cheating, criminal trespass and forgery. The cases under the Forest Act include those of illegal mining in reserved forests and altering the boundaries of forest areas. He was arrested in 2013 in connection with the illegal export of iron ore from Belekeri port and in 2015 on charges of unlawfully transporting ore. Singh has brazenly claimed that the cases are minor and in the nature of traffic violations. What kind of orders should the officers of the Forest Department, which is supposed to be fighting the cases against Singh for the protection of the forests, expect from him? And should the officers follow those orders? Why has Singh been placed in a position that enables him to influence the cases against him?

Yediyurappa may owe Singh and, behind the scenes, might have come under pressure to give him the forest ministry, but now that there is a public outcry against Singh’s appointment, the chief minister should cite public opinion and remove the minister from his cabinet or, at the very least, change his portfolio. At a time when the world is battling global warming and rampant deforestation, having a person accused of stripping our forests for illegal mining is untenable. The chief minister should not allow this situation to continue.