POACHERS SUPORTER SUSPENDED.

[Guest guest]

*Effect 2: DFO suspended

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service *

 

Chandigarh, November 12

After dilly-dallying for six months, the Punjab government has suspended its

much-controversial divisional forest officer (DFO) of Ludhiana R.R. Kakkar.

He was in the news for signing an MoU with an NGO headed by his wife.

 

The MoU was signed on May 8 with the objective of plantation along the 77-km

stretch of the Balachaur-Dasuya and Hoshiarpur-Tanda roads owned by the

Punjab government. Kakkar signed the MoU without securing the official

sanction to do so. He did not inform the government that his wife was

chairing the NGO though he was bound to do so by government employees'

conduct rules 1966.

 

The Tribune had reported the controversy and how the government had been

inconsistent in its attitude towards Kakkar. The government had first lauded

the DFO for his " public-spirited act " of enhancing plantation and had even

decided to accord to all territorial DFOs in Punjab the power to undertake

tree plantation through recognised NGOs.

 

Later in July, Punjab forest minister Tikshan Sud, suddenly cancelled the

controversial MoU, saying that it had created too much controversy.

 

Now after six months of the signing of the MoU, Kakkar has been suspended.

Sources in the Forest Department say that the MoU controversy is behind the

suspension.

 

Recently, the Punjab government had also told the high court hearing a PIL

on the matter that it would proceed against the erring officials. Show-cause

notices were accordingly served.

 

Earlier, too, the principal chief conservator of forests, Punjab, who was

asked to clarify the position on the MoU, had said Kakkar was not authorised

to enter into such an agreement without delegation of powers. He had also

said the land sought to be afforested through Sahyogi, the NGO, actually

belonged to the Public Works Department and the Forest Department only had

management rights over it.

 

Kakkar recently kicked up another controversy by registering an FIR against

Sukhwinder Singh Grewal, former state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva

Morcha (BJYM) and a serving state working committee member of the BJP. In

the FIR dated October 22, Kakkar stated that Grewal had intimidated him in a

certain case. Grewal, however, refutes the charge.

 

The FIR, however, created a huge stir in Punjab BJP circles, of which Sud is

a significant part. A highly-placed Punjab BJP leader today confirmed to The

Tribune that the FIR matter was not taken lightly. " It was raised at the

highest level, with Balbir Punj. But this issue has nothing to do with

Kakkar's suspension, " he said.

 

Kakkar, when contacted, however, said, " The FIR was registered on October 22

and I got an explanation call from the Punjab forest department on October

29. Now I learn I have been suspended. I wonder why was I not suspended in

six months? Why now? "

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071113/main7.htm

 

 

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