Various staff associations of the State Forest Department have demanded either a CBI inquiry or an inquiry by a retired judge in the case of the reserve forest land purchased last year by the present Director General of Police BS Sidhu. Alleging a conspiracy in the case, office bearers of the staff associations questioned how the police had arrested ‘innocent’ people for allegedly felling trees on this land. They have decided to approach the Chief Minister if needed and even agitate if their demand for an impartial inquiry is not met.
Addressing the media, Mussoorie sub divisional officer DP Baluni said that a 3.86 acre plot of land at Veergirwali on Old Mussoorie Road was declared reserve forest land in 1970 by law, but at that time the Revenue Department did not register it in the name of the Forest Department in its documents as it was required to do.
“The owner of the land, 9 Dispensary Road resident Natthuram expired in 1983, but surprisingly in May 2012, a Natthuram claiming to be the owner of the land and living in Meerut at the time, wrote a letter to the divisional forest officer calling for a joint verification citing difficulties posed by the Forest Department whenever he tried to get any work done on the land. later, the sale deed for this land was drawn and in November 2012, it was bought by Sidhu for Rs 1.6 crore,” said Baluni
On March 8-9 this year, four Sal trees on this land were axed and later on March 18, 21 trees were found axed. The trees were axed and left there, so it was evident that they were not felled for timber, but to clear the land to facilitate work. We took legal advice and filed a chargesheet in the court on June 26. However, Sidhu then filed an FIR against department staff and workers in July and based on police investigation, three men — two labourers and one contractor — were arrested recently by the police. These men are being accused of felling the trees whereas in fact the contractor, on being asked by the department, had provided the two labourers to chop the felled trees into logs because as Government property, the timber had to be sent to our master control room,” he added.
Forest Range Officers Association general secretary HS Maindola said that the case should be inquired into by the CBI or a retired judge to ascertain the truth. “In case any of our staff is found guilty of illegality in this case in such an inquiry, we will welcome the necessary legal action against him,” he stressed. IFS officers are also slated to meet soon in this regard. The Provincial Forest Service Association general secretary Neeraj Sharma and Subordinate Services Association general secretary RR Painyuli were also present in the Press conference.