UP Government Suspends Forest Officer Following Highway Project Dispute in Bijnor
The Uttar Pradesh government has taken decisive action by suspending sub-divisional forest officer (SDO) Gyan Singh on Thursday. This suspension comes in response to what authorities have described as serious procedural and administrative lapses during a contentious dispute between the forest department and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The conflict emerged during the ongoing construction of the crucial Meerut-Pauri highway, designated as NH-119.
Investigation Team Constituted to Probe Allegations
Bijnor divisional forest officer (DFO) Jai Singh Kushwah confirmed the suspension order and revealed that a separate three-member investigative team has been established to examine the allegations raised by NHAI officials. This specialized team comprises DFOs from Rampur, Sambhal, and Bareilly districts, who visited Bijnor on Thursday to begin their comprehensive inquiry into the matter.
Following the announcement of the suspension, some contractors reportedly came forward with corruption allegations against the suspended officer. However, DFO Kushwah promptly dismissed these claims, asserting that these contractors were themselves involved in forest-related offenses and have multiple cases registered against them.
Incident That Sparked the Controversy
The NHAI is currently executing the four-laning of this important highway through a private agency. Officials maintain that all necessary statutory clearances for tree felling and soil excavation had been properly obtained before construction activities commenced. Despite these assurances, tensions escalated dramatically on January 20 when a forest department team, allegedly led by SDO Gyan Singh, confronted and detained Anoop Kumar, an engineer working with the private agency, in Jivanpuri village.
The forest officials accused Kumar of illegal mining and unauthorized tree felling, leading to his detention. Subsequently, authorities registered a formal case against 25 individuals, including an NHAI officer, under provisions of both the Indian Forest Act and the Wildlife (Protection) Act. During this incident, construction equipment including a JCB machine was seized, and the detained engineer was sent to jail before eventually securing bail.
Counter-Complaints and Official Inquiry
In response to these actions, counter-complaints were filed against forest department officials, accusing them of abduction, assault, and unlawfully obstructing the critical highway project. A thorough inquiry conducted by a committee comprising the additional district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate of Bijnor, and the circle officer concluded that SDO Gyan Singh had acted without informing senior authorities and had deliberately disrupted the infrastructure project.
Based on this investigative report, district magistrate Jasjit Kaur formally recommended Singh's suspension. Following this recommendation, the officer has been attached to the office of the principal chief conservator of forests in Lucknow pending further proceedings.
Suspended Officer's Defense and Allegations
SDO Gyan Singh, however, has strongly contested the inquiry findings, terming the report biased and part of a conspiracy against him. He pointed out that no forest department officials were included in the district administration's inquiry committee and emphasized that a separate investigation by forest authorities remains underway.
The suspended officer made several serious allegations of his own, claiming that NHAI personnel were involved in illegal timber transportation and mining activities within a protected area. He further asserted that mandatory environmental protection measures, including temporary forest check posts, wildlife signage, and bio-fencing, had not been properly implemented by the highway construction agency.
Singh also revealed that the forest department had filed a formal complaint against NHAI officials at the Bijnor city police station, but no action was taken. Instead, he alleged, a First Information Report was registered against forest officials based on a complaint filed by the detained engineer's driver. The suspended officer further claimed that NHAI officials forcibly released two trucks that had been seized by the forest department during the confrontation.
This complex dispute highlights the ongoing challenges in balancing infrastructure development with environmental protection and proper administrative procedures in Uttar Pradesh's development projects.
