The Forest department has issued orders suspending the Forest Range Officer on deputation to GHMC, fixing on him the blame for illegal tree felling on the stretch between Hitech City and KPHB on April 30 this year.
The department is reliably learnt to have recommended action against senior officials from GHMC and Cyberabad Traffic Police who allegedly passed instructions for the action, in which a large number of trees were illegally hacked down overnight. No reports have emerged about any action against them.
The FRO K. Chandrakanth Reddy, Manager (Urban Biodiversity) for two circles Chandanagar and RC Puram & Patancheruvu, is found to have been prima facie involved in felling of the 73 trees of Peltophorum species without any permissions as specified under the WALTA Act, the suspension orders said.
A preliminary enquiry report submitted by the Forest Divisional Officer, Shamshabad to the District Forest Officer, Ranga Reddy, and obtained through Right to Information Act, cited eye witnesses to claim that Circle Inspector (Traffic), Madhapur Narsaiah too was involved in the offense alongside Mr. Chandrakanth Reddy.
The DFO then ordered for another discreet enquiry by the Forest Range Officer, Chilukuru, “as the report was not in full shape with regards to the persons responsible for tree felling”.
Accordingly, GHMC field assistants were called to Forest department headquarters on May 8, and their statements were recorded before the FDO, Shamshabad. As per their statements, the instructions were received from the GHMC Zonal Commissioner, Serilingampally and Circle Inspector (Traffic), Madhapur, besides Mr. Chandrakanth Reddy.
Reliable sources have informed that a letter has been addressed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force R.M. Dobriyal to the GHMC Commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar recommending action against the Zonal Commissioner, Serilingampally reportedly for issuing orders for illegal tree felling. Another letter was sent reportedly to the higher authorities in the Cyberabad Traffic Police too, for action against the officials involved.
Query to the GHMC Commissioner about the proposed action has not yielded response. Citizen activist Vinay Vangala, who brought the incident to light through a social media post, tweeted again, asking the GHMC Commissioner to come clean on the municipal staff’s involvement.
Mr.Vinay Vangala also addressed a written request to Mr.Lokesh Kumar for action against the errant officials.
The blatant tree felling incident and subsequent penalisation of a small-time contractor who brought vehicles for clearing the logs, created a social media furore with a large number of people making appeals to the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao, Forest department, and GHMC for action against the real culprits.
