A day Chandigarh Administrator and Governor of Punjab Banwarilal Purohit ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) bureaucrat Debendera Dalai for “manipulating and hoodwinking” the administration, the agency seized all papers related to the departments that IFS Dalai oversaw.
IFS Dalai, who served as Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Chandigarh, allegedly manipulated the Ministry of Environment and Forest with regard to the records of a Bird Park, classifying Forest Land as Non-Forest Area in all official documents. As per senior officials, Dalai also cleared agendas at the State Board of Wildlife Meeting without informing the Board’s Chairman.
When asked about the CBI inquiry, Purohit on Monday said, “Of course, CBI inquiry has to be put up, if any officer does wrong, he will have to face action. We already have transferred that chap to far off place in Arunachal Pradesh”. The CBI has begun its investigation and has asked the current Chief Conservator of Forests to produce all the related documents for further action. Along with serving as a Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden for the Forest department, Dalai has also been a Director of Environment, CEO of the Solar department known as CREST, Secretary and Director of Science and Technology, and Vice Chairman of the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee.
The complaint against Dalai that was sent to Rashtrapati Bhawan states, “In order to make this Illegal project (Bird Park)- a legitimate one, he (Dalai) made Mrs Savita Kovind, the Wife of the then President of India Ramnath Kovind inaugurate this project in November 2021. Whereas the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had raised objections and queries on this very project on 16-09-2021 while noting, ‘This department is developing two walk-through aviaries in Nagar Van- a reserve forest area without any approval from the competent authority to convert land to eco-tourism which is totally a non-forest activity and provision and rules contained in Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.’”
In reply to this objection, IFS Debendra Dalai answered on 3 November 2021 to MOEF: “It is stated that the Chandigarh Administration vide their notification 43/3/76-UTFI(5)-2000/4714 dated 7 June 2001 has acquired this land for public purpose namely for the ‘Protection of Environment of Sukhna Lake’ at village Kaimbwala, UT, Chandigarh. The forest department in Chandigarh has set up the two aviaries on the said patch of land. As per the records, the said patch of land is not a reserve forest area rather it is an acquired land which was used for agriculture purposes prior to the acquisition.” However, the complainant further states, “IFS Debendra Dalai has manipulated the documents whereas the reality is far away from the manipulation of Mr Dalai. The estate office record states that the Estate office UT Chandigarh has given Possession to the Forest department on 8-09-2004. Moreover, before any of the queries or controversy could be raised, this land has been marked as Forest land in the ‘Official Forest Map’ of Chandigarh. Even, the Forest Department has mentioned this land as ‘Forest Land’ in Greening Action Plan 2019-2020. Ridiculously, the Department of Forest and Wildlife’s official website too states that ‘Before the development, this part of lake forest was considered as ‘Degraded Forest’.’” In addition to duping the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Chandigarh’s Union Territory Administration and the Ministry of Environment, IFS Dalai also siphoned off funds worth several crores. The bird park project has also fallen in the ambit of Audit Objection. After the construction of the Bird Park at the cost of several crores of rupees from the Government treasury, Mr Dalai created a society called the Forest Society for Conservation (FOSCON) in November 2022. The Audit Department also raised objections when it was revealed that all revenue from the bird park was being transferred into this society account.
