Massive Corruption in Rayagada Forest Division
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Forest squad appears before Lokayukta in response to complains made by Rayagada activists
Rayagada, October 26: Forest Flying Squad(FFS) or Internal Vigilance department stationed at Brahmapur appeared before Lokayukta Odisha on 16.10.2023 vide Case-no-LY-300/2023 to explain about the inquiry conducted at Muniguda Forest Range of Rayagada Forest Division.
On the complain dated 15.6.2022 made by Rasmi Ranjan Dora, Rabindra Patakhandal and Badal Tah belonging to TDP Associates against corruption by Muniguda forest range in Rayagada, the Internal Vigilanve led by Asstt Conservator of Forest(ACF) Nilendra Narayan Singh Dalapati conducted the inquiry in several phases. TDP Associates complained about massive corruption amounting crores of rupees in implementing programmes like Assisted Natural Regeneration(ANR), Soil & Moisture Conservation(SMC), Loose Boulder Check Dams(LBCD), Bald Hill Plantations, etc in 28 Vana Sangrakhyan Samitis(VSSs) of Muniguda Forest Range.
According to the findings of draft inquiry report of FFS, the SMC work has been executed through contract vouchers. No muster roll has been maintained in the work executed through contracts vouchers. The SMC structures i.e, Staggered trenches in all four plantations are either deficient in numbers or volume deviation in the executed staggered trenches. This incites doubt for encouraging contracts works for executing labour oriented works.
The Range Officer Shri P K Mishra, Muniguda Forest Range has not supervised any plantation work of Jamjodi Baldhill but allowed all vouchers without any field verification. There are 789.825 cum of volume deviation found from 2409 numbers of dug staggered trenches. There are 250 numbers of staggered trenches not dug in the Jamjodi Baldhill plantation. 4000 cft of Farm Yard Manure(FYM) not used in the plantation. Most of the staggered trenches done were recently dug.
The SMC works like staggered trench and LBCD are done on contracts without maintaining any muster roll.The seedlings planted and staggered trenches are done only after complaint has been made. Hence, misappropriation of Government money to the tune of Rs.9,22, 246 is misappropriated against Jamjodi Baldhill Plantation.
The site selection at Jamjodi is not suitable for Baldhill plantation. The plantation site is surrounded with valuable species like Sal, Piasal, Bahada, Harida, Asan, etc. The plantation site is also having good germination of the same species.
In Haduguda ANR, plantation work has been done after complain has been made. The VSS register have few false signature. The numbers of meeting actually held is less compare to the resolution register record. The VSS members are not aware of actual quantity of work executed.There are 5174 numbers of seedlings planted in the assigned area against 10000 numbers of seedlings. In place of 1450 staggered trenches in the cash book, only 455 have been dug with volume deviation of 100.12 cum.Hence, misappropriation of Rs.5, 98, 727 /- is done.
Similarly in Rengalpadu ANR, 5298 seedlings are planted in the assigned area against 10000. 1787 staggered trenches has been booked on the cash book but only 688 dug with volume deviation of 154.8 cum. Misappropriation to the tune of Rs.6, 10, 058/-. In rachuli ANR, 5169 numbers of seedlings planted in the assigned area against 10000. 1514 numbers of staggered trenches has been booked in the cash book but only 550 numbers have been dug with volume deviation of 222.75 cum. Hence, misappropriation of Government money is done to the tune of ₹6, 40, 955/-. So, recovery of total misappropriated Govt money amounting Rs.27, 71, 986/- may be initiated as quickly as possible from all responsible forest officials, the draft inquiry report mentioned.
The Range Officer has not submitted tour diary nor vehicle logbook of vehicle engaged in Muniguda Forest Range since his joining. The Division Office has no record of DFO’s tour diary. The tour diary of two ACF has no instances of field verification/inspection of concern four plantations under Muniguda Forest Range. No supervision of field work during preparatory year as well as first year of plantation of Jamjodi Baldhill plantation, Haduguda, Rengalpadu and Rachuli ANR plantations, has been done by any higher Forest official like ACF or DFO.The verification of the document like muster roll, Voucher, Nursery journal are also not done but countersigned and passed. DFO & Ranger passed all the vouchers of the project executed under CAMPA without any field verification as well as related documents. This directly encourages field staff to swindling the government money without any actual work. The blind support of DFO, Rayagada Forest Division can not be ruled out. The FFS hold the Ranger, DFO, Accounts Staff squarely responsible for the misappropriation and recommended appropriate action against them. It also recommended transfer of the tainted Forest Ranger Mishra. In the mean time, the DFO has been apprehended by the State Vigilance Deptt and the Forest Ranger-Muniguda has been transferred.
During the appearance before Lokayukta, Dalapati said that the inquiry was completed only in four plantation areas out of 28 spots as per the complain of TDP Associates. Because of staff shortage & Dalapati’s transfer order, the inquiry for the balance 24 project sites are yet to be conducted. Lokayukta has ordered Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), at Bhubaneswar to get the inquiry done within a reasonable period exclusively by another officer and submit the report by 26.12.2023, ie, next date of hearing.
“As per the report of the FFS, the total misappropriated amount is around Rs.28 lakhs in 4 nos of project sites. So for 28 project sites, it is presumed to be around Rs.2 crores only in one forest range in just one scheme in a year. But as per our assessment it is much more than that.
The inquiry is going on for almost one year & four months. Only 14% of the task in completed. At this pace, it will take another six years to complete the job. It can not be an unending process. By that time P K Mishra(Ex-Range Officer, now posted in Baliguda Forest Division), the prime accused in the draft report of the Forest Flying Squad is retired alongwith other persons who are involved in this mammoth irregularity. I appreciate the action taken by State vigilance deptt against the tainted DFO; but the ranger and his team involved in the irregularity is still scot free. The order of Lokayukta for fixing a reasonable time for PCCF to reach at logical conclusion before the onset of year 2024 is certainly laudable”, asserted Rabindra Patakhandal, an RTI activist of the region.
