Forest dept seeks details of ex-officials linked to encroachment

Mumbai: The state forest headquarters, Nagpur, has written a letter to the chief conservator of forests, Thane, director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, conservator of social forestry, Thane and additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Nagpur seeking details of 10 forest officers, who worked in Kalyan-Dombivali area from 1987 to 2007 for their alleged involvement in encroachment.

The letter by D B Satdeve, administrative officer, office of principal chief conservator of forests Y L P Rao, was sent on December 13.

The former officers, who were in the ranks of assistant conservator of forests and range forest officer, have retired now.

The letter said that a writ petition was filed in the Bombay high court in 2014 and a committee was appointed under Justice A S Aguiar. The committee probed 67,920 illegal structures and submitted a report in 2009. The committee had recommended action against the then commissioners of Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)/administrators, collectors and forest officers. The erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis government had ordered action against the erring officers.

The first letter was written on August 28, 2018 by the state forest department, which asked Maheep Gupta, then APCCF (personnel) to provide information on the 10 officers as an affidavit had to be filed by the government in the high court. Vikas Kharge, who was the principal secretary of forests, wrote a letter to Gupta and also mentioned that officers in Mantralaya had written four letters since 2018, but no response came.

The matter remained dormant during the Covid pandemic. Now, the forest department has again asked for the details of the officials.

Principal secretary of forests, B V Gopal Reddy, principal chief conservator of forests, Y L P Rao and principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) Gupta did not respond to calls and messages.

While Sunil Pandhare, deputy secretary of the state forest department, said that he will have to look into the file before commenting.