Last Updated on July 5, 2021 at 1:53 pm
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Jammu East Circle ordered a probe to find out veracity of a Distance Certificate issued to a stone crusher to run its operations in village Saddral near Compartment number 52/D.
But in the enquiry report, manipulation of records and corrupt practices in the office of Divisional Forest Office (DFO) Jammu have been exposed.
As per the report, Distance Certificate which was issued by the DFO Jammu was manipulated intentionally so that stone crusher could get benefit for running its operations.
The DFO Jammu vide its letter number 1436-38 dated 3/6/2021 had issued a Distance Certificate in favour of CRB Stone Crusher giving a distance of 1.2 Kilometres (North), 1.2 Kilometres (East), 1.5 Kilometres (West) and 1.5 Kilometres (South) from the demarcated forest in Village Saddral near Compartment number 52/D in district Samba.
However, as per a latest report submitted by DFO Samba to CCF Jammu, as the above mentioned area fall under jurisdiction of Samba Forest division, it reads, “DFO Samba has reported that a stone crusher is situated in a private land at a distance of 133 metres from the nearest Forest boundary”.
But after 21 days of the issuance of Distance Certificate by DFO Jammu, the CCF has found the Distance certificate is not correct and that a stone crusher has been damaging forest cover in Compartment Number 52 in village Saddral, just 1 kilometres ahead of Mandal village.
Though the report was contradicted by DFO Jammu, enquiry was initiated by the CCF, which found the Distance Certificate false.
A senior official said that this speaks to how much corruption is prevailing in DFO Jammu, where a fraudulent Distance Certificate was issued to a Stone Crusher.
Following the latest report by DFO Samba about Distance Certificate, the CCF Jammu has written to the Member Secretary Pollution Control Board Jammu, vide letter number CFC/J/Stone Crusher/117-20 dated 24/6/2021 which reads, “…..the undersigned by Order number 81 (CF) East of 2021 dated 23/6/2021 rescined ab-initio, the Distance Certificate of DFO Jammu issued vide Order number 1436-38 dated 3/6/2021. DFO Samba Somdutt Khajuria didn’t pick up his phone despite repeated calls while Chief Conservator of Forests Jammu East circle, Samuel Changkija was also not available for comments.
