In a set back for the Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government in Haryana, the President of India has quashed the departmental charge sheet issued to whistle-blower Indian Forest Service Officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi, presently posted as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), AIIMS.
This is third intervention from President of India in past five years, quashing the orders of the Haryana Chief Minister. The charge sheet was issued last August when Chaturvedi, who exposed several forest scams in Haryana, sought permission from the State Government to be relieved for Central Deputation. He had submitted a representation to the President last year against the charge sheet filed by Haryana government over his alleged failure in implementing a plantation programme in Jhajjar.
An officer of the 2002-batch, he had alleged that the charge sheet was filed at the behest of powerful politicians who were wary of his stand against corruption in the State forest department.
The aim behind the charge sheet was "to withhold the vigilance clearance to thereby (jeopardise) his relieving for Central Deputation", Chaturvedi had said in his representation. "The President, in exercise of powers under Rule 24 (1) (a) All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, upholds the memorial/representations submitted by Chaturvedi and orders that the charge sheet (against which) an inquiry was ordered against him stands revoked/quashed with immediate effect," says the order issued on behalf of the President.
The first Presidential intervention was in January, 2008 when President quashed the suspension order of the officer for preventing the destruction of a wild life sanctuary and for preventing misuse of public funds to create herbal park on private land belonging to an independent MlA. The second Presidential intervention was in January, 2011 when departmental charge sheet issued to the officer under major penalty proceedings was quashed by the President of India.
When Chaturvedi was posted as Divisional forest officer in Jhajjar in January, 2009, he detected a multi-crore plantation scam wherein funds were embezzled and plantation existed only on paper and there was no work on the ground.