Uttar Pradesh: Two forest officials engaged in slugfest over an alleged land scam
Saran has not responded to phone calls but has charged Jain of indiscipline as per earlier reports.
The cold war between chief forest conservator of Agra A K Jain and the principal secretary (forestry) Sanjeev Saran has become a hot topic of debate in Agra these days, with both officials imposing serious allegations on each other and chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar taking no action so far.
Saran has not responded to phone calls but has charged Jain of indiscipline as per earlier reports.
A K Jain alleges that Sanjeev Saran has caused a loss of Rs 4721 crores to the UP government and even an FIR has been registered against him and yet he has been promoted from additional principal secretary to principal secretary. Jain charges that Saran laundered crores of rupees during the demonetisation months and he owns hotels worth crores in London and Dubai.
Talking to India Today, Jain said the forest land scam worth crores in Sonbhadra district also happened under the eye of Sanjeev Saran. He said that he has even written a letter against Sanjeev Saran and his reach in the high places of governance, to the UP government. Jain said that he has even sought an appointment with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Forest Minister Dara Singh Chauhan so that he can place complete facts in front of them.
Jain told India Today that he had written a letter to Sanjeev Saran that a divisional forest officer (K K Singh) in Agra zone was spreading indiscipline in the department and that it appeared that he (Saran) had given him free reins to do whatever he wants. Jain said that on June 1, K K Singh and Saran met on the Agra toll barrier and sat at a dhaba for a secret meeting. Jain said Saran is seeking the help of K K Singh in the publicity of his hotels in London and Dubai as Agra is a tourist hub.
Even at the expensively-built house of Saran in Sector 40 of Noida, 3-4 vehicles of forest department are always present even when Saran is already allowed the use of a state car during official visits. Jain alleged that the Greater Noida side of Okhla Bird Sanctuary was declared eco-sensitive and to relax those norms, Saran took two apartments and one crore rupees from the builders.
Jain said that during demonetisation, Saran changed Rs 2 crore worth old currency into new currency in the Agra forest division. At the inter-state barrier, he took registration and transit fee in new currency while deposited old currency in the treasury chest. This way, he changed about 15-20 crores in old notes into new currency.
When India Today tried to talk to Sanjeev Saran about his side of this entire issue, he did not pick up his phone and later turned it off.