Uttarakhand HC orders CBI probe in “Pakhro Safari project’s “, alleged irregularities worth several crores

THE former controversial cabinet minister during the BJP government having joined the saffron party in 2016-17 and thereafter again joined Congress in 2022 , infamous for changing parties from being independent to BSP leader and then to Congress to BJP and finally coming back Dr. Harak Singh Rawat seems to be in real jeopardy in connection with the PAKHRO Safari case while he was the forest minister of Uttarakhand from 2017 to 2022. The Uttarakhand High Court has today accorded permission for a CBI probe in this case which was kept reserve for hearing on September 1. Few days ago the state’s vigilance department sleuths had raided the premises of the Doon Medical college and petrol Pump etc and confiscated a huge transformer that was bought by the forest department from the budget of PAKHRO tiger reserve but shifted to Doon College for personal use. This college is owned by the son of the former minister. The former minister Dr. Harak Singh Rawat and his, daughter in law Anukriti Gusain had reached the College precincts during the raids to allegedly apply pressure on the vigilance sleuths. Badly furious and angered Dr Harak Singh Rawat has termed these raids as political vendetta by BJP and had threatened to divulge the names of several politicians as he has the concealed list of several high ups having committed several illegal acts. The High Court felt that the ongoing vigilance probe in this massive embezzlement of Rs 215 crore matter pertaining to the PAKHRO Safari project is not being probed adequately and it won’t be worth bringing the guilty to justice. Hence a Central Bureau of Investigation probe is utmostly necessary to bring the culprits of this scam to Justice. According to news this matter relates to the irregularities ( corruption) committed in a Corbet National Park Pakhro range project worth Rs 215 crores from 2017 to 2022 when Dr. Harak Singh Rawat was the forest minister. The matter came to the fore and reappeared in the news, after an advocate and social activist Gaurav Bansal has filed a petition in Uttarakhand high court demanding CBI enquiry into the irregularities committed during Rawat’s tenure as forest minister in a PAKHRO Safari project worth 215 crores by way of alleged giving contracts to the contractors without seeking permission and of more amount not permissible under rules including illegal cutting of 6200 trees instead of 163 etc. The scam actually came to light in the year 2019 according to news reports and it was revealed that the construction contracts were allocated to the contractors of their choice by forest officers without official permission including commencement of construction on 106 Hectare land of the over ambitious PAKHRO Project of the then minister forest Dr. Harak Singh Rawat. After the filing of the petition by the Wild life and forest conservation activist and advocate Gaurav Bansal he had also complaint about these irregularities in National Tiger Conservation Authority followed by the NG T and NTCA inspecting the area finding the irregularities of about 215 crores. According to “Pahad ka Pathar”, last year the principal sector Haldwani had lodged a court case in this regard and the then ranger BRIJ BEHARI SHARMA was arrested. On 24 September, 2022 a DFO Kishan Chand was also arrested. These officers were arrested for cutting more trees than the genuinely required numbers and minting lot of money illegally of of this arbitrary act. According to the investigation report that was continuing from 2019 about 6093 trees were cut illegally . The money meant for tiger safari was used for other purposes. The contractors were allocated more amount not allowed within rules and lot of commission earned in lieu of this arbitrary action. The buildings and roads etc were built on sensitive zone not allowed as, per norms. About 6200 trees were cit illegally in place of merely 163 trees allowed officially. Three IFS officers namely Rajiv Bhartari, J. S. Suhag and, Rahul also faced actions.Even the Supreme Court’s highly empowered committee took this matter extremely seriously. Even two huge power transformers worth Rs. 16 lakhs were purchased and sent to the minister’s son’s Doon Medical College etc. The vigilance sleuths had few days ago confiscated the power inverter from the college premises. Even the Pakhro Safari Project was not approved by the National Zoo Authority reveal sources. There are reports that the Centrally Empowered Committee of Supreme Court was probing this case since long and one of its member secretary Amarnath Shetty has in his report submitted in Supreme Court revealed that the Tiger Safari can be established only outside Scheduled Tiger Reserve and leopards’ natural habitats but these norms weren’t followed. According to a report of “Pahad Ka Pathar”, there are accusations on the former forest minister Dr. Harak Singh Rawat that he encouraged the wrong works of the then DFO Kishan Chand now in Jail. The Congress leaders have accused the saffron party of safeguarding and protecting those who are in there party terming them as holy but when they leave them they are harassed, victimised and tortured by misusing the investigating agencies and police etc. On the other hand denying the charges and accusations of Congress the BJP said that the investigating agencies are free to act and there is no Vendetta as charged by them.