Gurgaon: Forest Development Corporation Haryana (FDCH) has recommended action against a senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, who was appointed as fact-finding officer last year to probe a case of financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 93 lakh.
The FDCH took note of a report by a team of Panchkula forest officials set up to review the findings of the investigation conducted by IFS officer G Raman. Report presented to the Managing Director of FDCH Vivek Saxena Last week, said Raman Took “advantage of his position” as the investigating officer and “acted outside the scope of his jurisdiction”, and recommended action against him.
According to officials, in 2018, the then Gurgaon divisional manager of FDCH had allegedly acted on his own and awarded a tender worth Rs 93 lakh to a private contractor to buy benches for the education department.
While the education department had paid for the benches to FDCH, the corporation allegedly used the amount for a plantation drive at Masani barrage without the approval of a competent authority and no payment was made to the independent contractor, and it is still pending. , The forest department report said that Raman was appointed as a fact-finding officer in the alleged case and submitted a report in January last year, where he had given a “clean chit” to the FDCH, but the private Recommended payment to the contractor.
The report on the Raman investigation stated: “From the perusal of the reports available in the office and the relevant records, it is clear that the investigation has not been properly conducted.” The fact-finding probe also “ignored” the issues highlighted by the then MD Jagdish Chandra, which included bypassing the tender process, outsourcing the manufacturing process to private vendors, financial rigging, etc.
“The content of the report appears to be advocating and defending all these serious irregularities and is therefore Prima facie biased,” the report said, adding that Raman “acted outside the purview of his jurisdiction” by recommending payment of Rs 93 lakh for the work executed in violation of all norms. “His role is only in finding facts in the case. and handed them over to the government. The integrity of the fact finding officer has been questioned as this transaction was done without tenders and work orders. It recommended the government to appoint another fact finding inquiry and take action against Raman .
Gurgaon’s Chief Wildlife Conservator MS Malik said, “Further investigation will be done as per the findings of the department.”
The FDCH took note of a report by a team of Panchkula forest officials set up to review the findings of the investigation conducted by IFS officer G Raman. Report presented to the Managing Director of FDCH Vivek Saxena Last week, said Raman Took “advantage of his position” as the investigating officer and “acted outside the scope of his jurisdiction”, and recommended action against him.
According to officials, in 2018, the then Gurgaon divisional manager of FDCH had allegedly acted on his own and awarded a tender worth Rs 93 lakh to a private contractor to buy benches for the education department.
While the education department had paid for the benches to FDCH, the corporation allegedly used the amount for a plantation drive at Masani barrage without the approval of a competent authority and no payment was made to the independent contractor, and it is still pending. , The forest department report said that Raman was appointed as a fact-finding officer in the alleged case and submitted a report in January last year, where he had given a “clean chit” to the FDCH, but the private Recommended payment to the contractor.
The report on the Raman investigation stated: “From the perusal of the reports available in the office and the relevant records, it is clear that the investigation has not been properly conducted.” The fact-finding probe also “ignored” the issues highlighted by the then MD Jagdish Chandra, which included bypassing the tender process, outsourcing the manufacturing process to private vendors, financial rigging, etc.
“The content of the report appears to be advocating and defending all these serious irregularities and is therefore Prima facie biased,” the report said, adding that Raman “acted outside the purview of his jurisdiction” by recommending payment of Rs 93 lakh for the work executed in violation of all norms. “His role is only in finding facts in the case. and handed them over to the government. The integrity of the fact finding officer has been questioned as this transaction was done without tenders and work orders. It recommended the government to appoint another fact finding inquiry and take action against Raman .
Gurgaon’s Chief Wildlife Conservator MS Malik said, “Further investigation will be done as per the findings of the department.”
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