Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 2: State Vigilance Commission (SVC) today directed the Forest Department to remove the encroachments from the forest land across Jammu and Kashmir and book the encroachers by lodging proper FIRs against them.
The direction was passed during State Vigilance Commission meeting, which was held to review the preventive vigilance system, pending complaints of corruption and misuse of official position by the employees of the Forest Department.
The meeting was chaired by Kuldeep Khoda, Chief Vigilance Commissioner and attended by R K Jerath and Gous-Ul-Nisa Jeelani, Vigilance Commissioners, RK Gupta, Principal Secretary, Forest Department, AK Singh, Principal CCF, Alok Puri, IGP, Vigilance Organization and other senior officers of Forest Department, State Vigilance Commission and Vigilance Organization.
The Commission sought progress of total 387 complaints pending with various wings of Forest Department for enquiry and 50 other reports sent by the Vigilance Organization for Regular Departmental Action. The directions were issued for completion of these in a time bound manner.
During the meeting, threadbare discussion was held regarding the improvement and transparency in the working of Forest Department. It was also stressed upon the Vigilance Officers of the department to act tough against the erring officials against whom cases of corruption or misuse of official position are established.
The department was further directed to ensure e-tendering for every work above Rs five lakh in accordance with Government orders. The Chairman, Pollution Control Board was directed to ensure that on-line system of issuing NOC to industrial units is put in place in entire State speedily to minimize public interface with the Government officials and thereby minimize the chances of corruption.
The record maintained by the Forest Department should form the basis of determining the status of land, as land records are well maintained by them.
Principal Secretary, Forest Department informed the Commission that digitalizing maps of forest land including the boundary pillars and fencing through GPS system for better management and monitoring of forest land is in progress.
Instances of felling of green trees need to be checked by proper supervision and introduction of system checks. Involvement of any forest official should invite strict action and besides being dealt with departmentally for administrative action, legal proceedings should invariably be initiated.
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