By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 3 Feb: The Dhami government has appointed senior IFS cadre officer Parag Madhukar Dhakate as the member secretary of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board with immediate effect. It may be recalled that Dhakate, is currently also Special Secretary to Chief Minister and is learnt to enjoy the trust and confidence of Pushkar Singh Dhami.
On the other hand, as someone who enjoys the confidence and trust of the Chief Minister, Dhakate has been in news for the major role that he played by leading the Forest Department’s campaign to remove all encroachments on its land. The anti-encroachment drive of the Forest Department continues though it is not running full steam now. Sources claim that Dhakate has been rewarded for his successful anti encroachment drive by being appointed to the very high profile post of member secretary of Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board. All housing complex projects, shops and industrial units and other commercial establishments and commercial centres have to seek clearance from Pollution Control Board before they can go ahead with construction. The post of Member Secretary therefore is very crucial. In fact, the Pollution Control Board is also directly related to the industry and the Board has an important role in the state, from environment to industrial sector. Better coordination between the Pollution Control Board and the industrialists is also necessary and in such a situation the government has expressed confidence in Parag Madhukar Dhakate. Apart from being posted as Special Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Dhakate is also looking after the work of Van Panchayat.
The post of member secretary in the Board was lying vacant following the forced exit of the then Member Secretary Sushant Patnaik on allegations of sexual harassment.
It may be recalled that IFS officer Sushant Patnaik was shifted out of the Pollution Control Board when a research fellow, a close family member of a former MLA of BJP had levelled charges of molestation and outrage of modesty against the officer. Following this, an FIR has been filed against Patnaik and he is facing an inquiry by District Magistrate of Dehradun, Sonika.
