By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 27 Jan: Nearly 8-10 officials of the Uttarakhand Forest Department have been given notices by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the illegal felling of trees and unauthorized constructions in the Corbett National Park area, top officials said on Friday.
Among those who received notices were former Director of the Corbett national Park Rahul and Sushant Patnaik, member secretary of the State Pollution Control Board. Patnaik has also been charged with sexual misconduct and was divested of his position Friday.
The ED’s notices were sent following the CBI inquiry ordered by the Uttarakhand High Court into the case of illegal tree-felling and unauthorized constructions in the Corbett Park area a few years ago. Against the prescribed limit of 163 trees, more than 6,000 trees were cut illegally by the forest officials. A report of the Forest Survey of India has also confirmed that 6,093 trees were felled without any permission.
A central empowered committee of the Supreme Court has held former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat and the then divisional forest officer (DFO) Kishan Chand responsible for various illegal activities, including constructions in connection with a tiger safari in 2021, in the Pakhro and Morghatti forest areas of the Kalagarh forest division of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
“All those involved in the case of illegal tree felling and unauthorized constructions in Corbett Park area have received ED’s notices,” a top official reiterated.
