By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 29 Aug: Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has rubbished media reports claiming that he or the Principal Secretary, RK Sudhanshu, have been overruled by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami regarding the appointment of IFS officer Rahul as Director of Rajaji National Park. A national newspaper, Indian Express, has published a news report in today’s edition, which has gone viral on social media, claiming that IFS officer and Chief Conservator of Forests, Rahul has been appointed as Director Rajaji National Park by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami against the recommendation of the Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal and Principal Secretary Forests, RK Sudhanshu. The newspaper report has also highlighted the fact that as Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR), Rahul was shifted out in view of the controversy related to illegal construction and illegal felling of trees in Pakhro Range of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Rahul was the Director of CTR during that period. While the newspaper has mentioned that a CBI inquiry is underway on the alleged Pakhro Range scam, it has also conceded that the FIR filed by the CBI does not mention Rahul as an accused but he had faced a departmental inquiry in this regard.
The newspaper has claimed that, on 18 July, the Forest Minister, with approval from the Chief Minister, modified a proposed transfer list of 12 IFS officers, which included appointment of Rahul as new Director of Rajaji National Park. The newspaper further claims that the
file was resubmitted within a week after a note was routed through the Principal Secretary, Chief Secretary and Forest Minister. The newspaper claims that the note had sought reconsideration of the appointment “in view of the ongoing disciplinary proceedings against Rahul, the CBI probe and the associated case in the Supreme Court regarding illegal felling and construction work for Pakhro tiger safari inside Corbett but the CM was firm with respect to Rahul’s appointment as Director Rajaji National Park and overruled the recommendations, and on 8 August, Rahul, then serving as CCF Monitoring, Evaluation, IT & Modernisation, was transferred as Director, Rajaji National Park”.
Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has dismissed the claims of the newspaper as not true. Speaking to Garhwal Post, Uniyal claimed that the decision regarding Rahul’s transfer as Director Rajaji National Park was taken with his consent and of all concerned. He also expressed apprehension that there could be some forest officials who may be behind the spread of this misinformation regarding Rahul’s appointment. In response to a question by Garhwal Post regarding the ongoing CBI inquiry, Uniyal claimed that the CBI FIR does not mention Rahul. He reminded that several officers are facing CBI inquiries but even they have to be given some responsibility till they are proven guilty. He also claimed that there is certain extent of factionalism in the department and some officers might be wanting to make this issue needlessly controversial. He claimed that he will get the matter investigated.
Subodh Uniyal also claimed that incomplete papers of the case were deliberately publicised. This will be investigated and action will also be taken against those found guilty. He added that he has also spoken to the Chief Minister regarding this. Uniyal also claimed that the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) did not find Rahul’s involvement in the case of illegal construction and cutting of trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve during its investigation. He reminded that the CEC report in fact mentions that the then Corbett Tiger Reserve Director, Rahul, had informed his senior officers about the wrongdoings happening in Corbett for the Tiger Safari project in Pakhro Range of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Uniyal added as a former Director of CTR, Rahul has wide experience of managing tiger reserves and national parks and it was in view of this, that he has been given the charge of Rajaji National Park. The post of Director Rajaji National Park had been lying vacant for some time since the transfer of the then director, Saket Badola, and his posting as new Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve.
