Haryana Indian Forest Service officer under HC scanner

[harinder dhingra]

Dear Friends/Experts,

The undersigned filed PIL under Article 226 before Hon'ble High Court of Punjab & Haryana High court against the corrupt officer on the strength of information received through RTI Act & Hon'ble was pleased to issue notice to all concerned including CBI, UOI, State Government.

The biggest victory in this issue is that by taking cognizance of facts presented by RTI Activist/private Citizen procured through RTI Act 2005 by Hon'ble Court has opened the gates of any private citizen to complain/prosecute corrupt officers on the basis of information obtained through RTI Act 2005.

Request for comments of all on this issue.

harinder dhingra


Haryana Indian Forest Service officer under HC scanner

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Haryana-Indian-Forest-Service-officer-under-HC-scanner/articleshow/13102225.cms

CHANDIGARH: Alleged financial irregularities and high handedness in the Haryana forest department at the hands of senior IFS officer V K Jhanjharia, has now come under the scanner of Punjab and Haryana high court, which on Friday issued notice to CBI, Union ministry of forest and environment and the officer seeking response on the issue. Jhanjharia is at present posted as conservator forest (west circle Hisar)
The matter came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana high court in the wake of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Gurgaon resident, Harinder Dhingra.

The division bench comprising acting Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Alok Singh has also put the Haryana government, its chief conservator (forest) and the state vigilance bureau on notice seeking their response on the contentions raised in the PIL.
Petitioner has sought directions to take cognizance of the financial irregularities and high handedness of V K Jhanjharia in the department and to order CBI probe to investigate into the matter of disproportionate assets, regarding which the vigilance inquiry is pending since April 21, 2011. It was submitted that the state vigilance bureau has not taken any action till date and neither inquiry is concluded in this matter.
He alleged that as per the information received from various sources, the IFS officer has amassed huge properties, which cannot be accounted for and has also indulged in malpractices so much so that he has not only misappropriated the state property but has also embezzled the funds of the state.
He added that he was appointed as the Haryana Forest Services officer in 1980 and promoted to IFS in 1986.
"The salary of a HFS/IFS officer is very moderate and with this salary the Jhanjharia not only raised a family of four, but also acquired huge valuable properties in Punjab (Aboharand Fazilka) in his paternal village, in Rajasthan (Sri Ganganagar) and in Haryana (Hisar and Gurgaon) and besides that also have petrol pumps in the name of his sons, wife and daughter-in-laws," petitioner further alleged.
It was also submitted in the petition that one forest guard namely Sher Singh (who was dismissed by Jhanjharia) had submitted all the documents relating to unaccounted wealth submitted to the State Vigilance Bureau in June 2011, in the form of an affidavit. Following that an inquiry was initiated on the basis of complaint but because of Jhanjharia's influence, till date no final report has been submitted and no action has been taken.
Now, the case would come up for further hearing on July 24.

[harinder dhingra]

Sponsorer

Dear Experts/friends,
Please go through the below mentioned report appeared in Hindustan Times e-paper dated 12th May 2012 also.
harinder dhingra

PIL seeks CBI probe against forest officer

Hindustan Times e-Paper



CHANDIGARH: After a petition sought a CBI inquiry against VK Jhanjaria, conservator of forests, Hisar, for alleged financial irregularities, the Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notices of motion to the central and Haryana governments, besides the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Jhanjaria.
Gurgaon resident Harinder Dhingra filed the public-interest litigation (PIL) upon which an HC division bench comprising acting chief justice MM Kumar and justice Alok Singh issued the notices on Friday.
Dhingra, who claims to be a Right to Information (RTI) activist, has informed the court that a state vigilance inquiry against Jhanjaria, who allegedly possesses assets disproportionate to his knows sources of income, was underway since April 21 last year but no action had been taken till date. Dhingra also requested for a CBI inquiry into a case of bungling in the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Jind, pending against Jhanjaria, and sought directions to restrain Jhanjaria from holding office in any sensitive field posting as probes are on against him.
The bench was informed that in a letter dated June 21, 2007, Haryana’s financial commissioner (forests) told the financial commissioner (rural development) about irregularities committed by Jhanjaria in a scheme sanctioned by the Centre, called Haryali, in 2004-05. Subsequently, the Jind deputy commissioner referred to that letter and on May 3, 2010, said that apart from departmental proceedings, criminal action should also be initiated against Jhanjaria.
The bench was informed that during the years 2005-06 and 2008-09, Jhanjaria had claimed to have spent Rs 16 crore of government money on plantation in Jind, where he was the district forest officer (DFO). But the area available for plantation was not in consonance with the claim.
The matter would now come up for hearing on July 24.