Indore: Tendu leaves collectors to constitute a sizable population in rural Madhya Pradesh and the produce i.e. tendu patta (tendu leaf used to make beedi and medicines) is bought under Minor Forest Produce due to its benefits and essentials. However, some divisions are cashing in the funds received for remuneration to tendu leaf collectors for other tasks of the forest department.
One such complaint showing various proofs of how the Dewas division is cashing in tendu leaf collector’s amount was raised within Lokayukta, including the Chief Secretary and the Forest Department Vigilance.
The information about this scheme and utilisation of funds is not given by the department under Right To Information 2005, due to which many times, officials have misused the funds remunerated under the scheme.
In one such case, legal activist Abhijeet Pandey has written to many officials including Lokayukta Bhopal. In his complaint, he also cited a mistake made in the Amrut Yojana scheme of the Chief Minister by Ujjain DFO.
Many times there have been demands to make the report of the investigation of disturbances in Amrut Yojana available for public.
“It is worth noting that in the absence of the charge sheet of the said investigation, it leaves a place for improper utilisation of funds,” Pandey said. He had sought the information several times, but the department refused to give information citing the prevailing action.
In process… since two years
“Clearly, many officials are involved in the wrong utilisation of funds, hence neither the charge sheets were released nor were the investigation closed,” claimed Pandey. He added investigation continues to be processed since the last two years with nothing to show for it.
Kettle to prove the pot black?
DFO Ujjain Dr Kiran Bisen, who was recently transferred back to Ujjain from Indore, is investigating the case. It is essential to note that the same officer while given charge as DFO Chhindwara West Forest Division has a charge for alleged irregularities in the tribal development scheme in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Official's say…
