Facing opposition and public wrath over illegal felling in Chamba—his home district and two other places including Taradevi (Shimla) and Nalagarh ,forest minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri can’t stop rejoicing his 68th birthday ,especially when forest officers are willing to appease him to any extent on the big day .
While the minister was in Shimla on Sunday attending PCC’s session and receiving loads greetings , more than a dozen forest officers including top ranking IFS officers issued advertisements in all local newspapers under their names extending greetings to the minister.
On February 8,half a dozen regional-languages newspapers ran special packages of the IFS and State Services forest officers to greet the minister thorough advertisements .The official logo of the forest department was prominently displayed on the advertisements to give them an official look ,even officers deny having diverted any government funds for the same.
Those whose advertisements with names and designations filled two to four pages of every newspapers included Conservator of forests Chamba D R Kaushal –who was posted in the district only a month back after controversy on forest felling rocked the state assembly.
Then there were Divisional Forest officers from all the forest divisions in Chamba district including R C Goma (Dalhousie) Vipin Parmar (Chauwari) Rakesh Kumar (Chamba),Dinesh Sharma (Shalooni) Vakil Bhardwaj ( Upper Chamba) ,officers of Forest Division Pangi and even an IFS officer looking after eco-development project .
When contacted over phone Conservator Chamba D R Kaushal justified the advertisements . “ People (government servants) host dhaams (community feasts) on such occasion ,we have spent only few thousands from our pockets to greet hon’ble minister of forest. What’s wrong and what you trying to probe in it ? No public money was being diverted on the advts ” he added and declined to comment further on use of official logos of the forest department.
Divisional forest officer Dalhousie R C Goma admitted that he never wanted to do it but since all the officers were doing so,he also decided to fall in line to avoid being isolated in the cadres.
State’s additional Chief Secretary (forest) Tarun Shridhar admitted that few journalists today approached him for comments on the matter. ” I am just studying the issue ” he added.