It has been revealed that the forest officials in the district have embezzled around Rs 4.5 million meant for plantation in connivance with project officials.
In the last fiscal year, the government had allocated Rs 45, 60,000 for plantation under the project. [break]
Even though the plants grown by Area Forest Offices (AFO) were against the criteria determined by the government, the District Forest Office (DFO) had released the amount for the purpose.
The DFO had earlier given advance amount to AFO officials to produce 6, 50,000 saplings for forestation. However, by the end of the last fiscal year, AFO officials could not produce the stipulated quantity of plants, said a majority of DFO officials.
But District Forest Officer Hari Lal Kushwaha and AFO officials forged the document to misappropriate the funds, accused the DFO officials.
The Finance Administration Section in the DFO said the section had handed the remaining budget to AFO following an order from Kushwaha.
Of the total Rs. 9.6 million allocated for the project in the last fiscal year, the government had earmarked Rs. 4.5 million for sapling production, Rs 2.5 million for forestation and Rs 1.4 million for miscellaneous expenses.
Likewise, Kushwaha also accepted that the saplings were of poor quality. “In some areas, the AFO has produced poor quality plants. But it is not a big issue.”
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