Jaipur: A selection committee meeting scheduled for Sept 24 to recommend a successor to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Arijit Banerjee was postponed without govt citing a specific reason. Banerjee is due to retire by the end of Oct.Department of Personnel said the meeting had been deferred due to “unavoidable reasons” and a fresh date would be communicated separately. TOI has a copy of the document.A source said three senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers are in the race for the top post. However, a representation submitted against one of the contenders could be a factor behind the postponement. The govt order, however, does not link the complaint to the deferment.Kota-based advocate and environmental activist Tapeshwar Singh Bhati submitted a representation to Chief Secretary V Srinivas, seeking that the officer concerned not be considered for the post until the competent authority examines allegations against him, a source said. TOI has a copy of the representation.The representation refers to two earlier complaints sent to Prime Minister on Sept 1 and 9 and alleges that departmental enquiries into suspected financial irregularities in forest works in Alwar and Baran were delayed, reopened or otherwise handled improperly when the officer held additional charge of PCCF (HoFF).The Alwar allegation relates to suspected irregularities of around Rs 17 crore, later assessed at about Rs 21 crore, involving seven Village Forest Protection and Management Committees. The representation alleges that an enquiry recommending that the matter be referred to Anti-Corruption Bureau was forwarded to govt only months after it was completed.The second allegation concerns works under the Rajasthan Forestry and Biodiversity Project in Baran, funded partly by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). It alleges that an earlier enquiry was reopened and that AFD subsequently declined to issue a no-objection certificate pending clarification and referred the allegations to its investigation unit.The representation also cites an enquiry into a Bhilwara juliflora matter.Responding to TOI, the Chief Secretary’s office said, “The PCCF/HoFF selection process will be completed within the prescribed timeline and in accordance with the established rules and procedures.”Allegations have not been independently verified and do not constitute a finding of wrongdoing. The representation itself says the officer’s conduct has been raised for independent examination and not as a conclusive finding of guilt.The petitioner has asked the selection committee to consider the complaints while assessing the “institutional integrity” aspect of the appointment. “The govt is yet to announce a fresh date for the selection meeting,” a senior forest official said.
