Arrest of legal officer Marudhappan by vigilance official had exposed corruption in recruitment
Posters demanding CBCID enquiry into the recent arrest of forest department law officer has been put up in government offices at Madurai and Erode districts (Photo: DC)
Chennai: The rank and file of the state forest department are spending sleepless nights as the arrest of legal officer Marudhappan by vigilance officials last week had exposed corruption in recruitment and promotions. Adding to it, investigations by the police into the red sanders mafia operations had also revealed connivance of insiders, admitted confidential sources with Panagal Buildings, state wildlife headquarters.
Posters demanding CB-CID enquiry into the administration of the state forest department is also being put up at the government offices in Madurai and Erode. “There is no transparency in the forest department, the vigilance department trap arresting a law officer is a just the tip of the iceberg and the case has to be transferred to CB-CID,” said B. Shanmughavelu, president, Citizens Movement for Equality. Through our organisation, we will continue to put up posters to expose the errant officials.
Promotions of 43 forest guards are now on hold and the department should ensure that the deserving staff are periodically promoted. Non-transparency in administration and foresters’ connivance with the timber mafia and contractors in erecting sub-standard concrete structures inside reserve forests will be shortly taken up by our movement, Mr Shanmughavelu said.
“The law officer has been periodically changing the notifications related to recruitments and promotions and a few circulars and department notification were also periodically changed enabling the officers to demand bribe,” said a confidential source, adding that there are controversies in the recruiting process as graduates with wildlife biology degree courses are at times ignored during the election process, whereas graduates from other streams are preferred, he added.
Efforts to contact the top brass of the forest department proved futile.
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