Ex-minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot's arrest: Top forest official shifted

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 27

In a fallout of the arrest of former Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and DFO Guramanpreet Singh by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, the AAP government today removed IFS officer Parveen Kumar from the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Head of Forestry Force (HOFF).

He has been replaced by senior-most IFS officer RK Mishra, who has been given additional charge of the PCCF (HOFF) apart from the existing charge of MD, Punjab Forest Corporation. Parveen has been posted as the PCCF (Wildlife).

Sources in the government said on the basis of investigation in the corruption case against Dharamsot and questioning of the DFO and contractors, the Vigilance Bureau had briefed the top government functionaries about the status of probe and role of top forest officials in the case. CM Bhagwant Mann had also been briefed about the case.

A day before the DFO was arrested on June 2, Forest Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak had ordered large-scale controversial transfers. Among them was Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF, Wildlife) Mishra — the senior-most IFS officer in the department — who was shifted as MD, Punjab Forest Corporation. Parveen Kumar and Vishal Chauhan had not been shifted in the June 2 transfers. In today’s transfer orders of 10 IFS officers, issued by ACS Forest Raji P Srivastava this evening, Conservator (Patiala circle) Vishal Chauhan has been posted as Conservator (Planning). Earlier, he was removed as Conservator (Shivalik circle). Following the arrest of Dharamsot and Guramanpreet, Praveen had not been attending his office. The officers suspected top forest officials had been summoned by the Vigilance Bureau but they were evading questioning.

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