Bist Doab Canal case: Additional chief secy to probe ‘illegal’ felling, was forest secretary when trees were cut

On January 10, the green body had rebuked Punjab for failing to implement its August 16, 2018 order in which it had ordered the state government to get the case probed by an officer of not less than the rank of additional chief secretary and fix the responsibility of erring officials.

In the affidavit (copy with The Indian Express), the Punjab government submitted that in pursuance of the NGT orders, Additional Chief Secretary MP Singh was appointed as inquiry officer on September 2, 2019, however he “could not complete the inquiry prior to his retirement on December 31, 2019”.

It added that consequently, the state government has appointed Khanna to inquire into the matter and complete the probe in not more than two months.

A copy of the orders issued by chief secretary, dated January 23, 2020 appointing Khanna as the inquiry officer in the case, has also been attached with the affidavit.

Dr Amandeep Aggarwal, a green activist from Sangrur and a petitioner against Punjab in the NGT in multiple cases, termed Khanna’s appointment as inquiry officer as a clear case of conflict of interest.

“It seems like a clear plan to sabotage facts and records and to save certain officers in this case. Khanna was then the principal secretary forests in 2016 when all permissions were given to fell these (24,777) trees (along Bist Doab Canal in Nawanshahr) and now he has been made the inquiry officer by the government. It is too dubious and questionable,” said Aggarwal.

Meanwhile, during the Monday hearing, the NGT again rapped Punjab government for delay in filing replies and failing to get inquiry done timely.

“It was on August 16, 2018 that Punjab government was directed to appoint inquiry officer but orders to appoint MP Singh were issued more than a year later in September 2019. Also, on the last hearing on January 10, government failed to file a reply and neither their counsel appeared following which tribunal directed chief secretary to file a personal affidavit and secretary irrigation to be present today (January 27). They were again rapped for delayed responses,” said Saurabh Kumar, counsel for the petitioner Nishant Alag.

A Venu Prasad, principal secretary, water resources, who appeared in the NGT Monday, also filed another affidavit on behalf of irrigation department “explaining non-filing of reply on the last date of hearing.”

Contacted, Khanna said that he would follow government’s orders to probe the case afresh. “Yes, I was posted as principal secretary forest for a couple of years during that period. It was for government to decide if it was justified to appoint me as the inquiry officer.”

According to the 33rd Annual Report 2015-16 of Punjab State Forest Development Corporation (PSFDC), Khanna was posted as chairman, PSFDC as well as ‘Financial Commissioner & Principal Secretary to government’, Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation of Punjab, as on September 1, 2016 (as per report copy on PSFDC website). According to the same document, IFS officer Kuldip Kumar was then Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (HOFF)-cum Managing Director (PSFDC).

As on December 16, 2016, Khanna was posted as ‘Additional chief secretary, department of forests, government of Punjab’; Kuldip Kumar as PCCF (HOFF) and another IFS officer Jitendra Sharma as MD (PSFDC) — as per the same report.