Ex-minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot's arrest exposes 'nexus' among officials, middlemen, leaders

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 7

The Punjab Forest Department, which otherwise has the mandate to protect and increase the forest cover, earned notoriety for illicit felling of khair trees and ‘kickbacks’ in transfers and postings in the past few years.

Dharamsot took ‘Rs 100-cr cut’

• Erring forest officials were allegedly involved with contractors to undertake illicit felling. The commission would go to then minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot
• A khair tree fetches Rs 10,000 each. The VB claims ex-minister made over Rs 100 cr in commission for tree felling and other works
• He charged Rs 1 cr from a contractor; there were over 100 contractors engaged in forest works, said officials

Over the years, the increasing web of illegal farmhouses in the Shivalik hillocks and lure of easy money brought a coterie of forest officials close to former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot.

The two middlemen, Kamaljeet, a former scribe, and OSD to the former minister Chamkaur Singh, came in contact with the coterie of forest officials to further their interests. The two middlemen allegedly used to call the intended “beneficiary” to Chandigarh’s Sector 39 residence of Dharamsot and strike the deal.

Vigilance claims to be in possession of a handwritten diary of the contractor regarding bribes given to senior officers of the Forest Department, leaders and their frontmen from time-to-time since 2017. The diary is said to have revealed the modus operandi of the culprits that led to their arrests.

Interestingly, the VB had recommended prosecution or departmental action against the coterie of officials. Several reports recommending departmental action against officials are learnt to have been brushed under the carpet by then minister and his team.

Sources reveal these officials were allegedly involved with contractors to undertake illicit felling of trees. The commission would then go to the minister. “A khair tree fetches nearly Rs 10,000. One can calculate the money involved in felling of trees. A probe in the permits given and felling needs to be done,” said sources.

The VB has claimed that the former minister allegedly made more than Rs 100 crore through commissions in felling of trees and allowing other works related to the department. He is learnt to have been charging Rs 1 crore commission from one contractor and there were more than 100 contractors engaged in forest works, officials said.

The issue of issuing permits for tree felling on land referred to as the ‘jumla mushtarka malkan’ was itself questionable. As the mutation of division of the land cannot be done, giving permit for tree felling on the land brings the role of forest officials under the scanner.

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