Third FIR in HPCA: Forest,Revenue officials face charges

Second FIR relates to demolition of residential quarters belonging to education department for the stadium. Now,the third FIR no 17/13 dated November 29,2013 Under sections 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act,120B IPC & 447 IPC have been registered at Police station Dharamshala by the Vigilance alleging that 2023 standing trees were felled to built HPCA hotel in 2011-12 on a land given on lease by the state government.

Said Additional director General of Police (Vigilance) Prithivi Raj “ during investigation of case FIR No 12/2013 by the agency at Dharmshala,registered against HPCA and officers/officials of the revenue department for committing irregularities in granting lease of land to cricket body ,a new fact has came to the notice of Investigating officer that a large number of Chir Pine trees are standing on the land allotted on lease for Hotel Pavilion of HPCA”.

He said as per the report of Divisional Forest Officer,around 2023 number of trees were standing on the land leased to the HPCA.

Prithvi Raj says “Revenue officials,who demarcated this land,before the allotment to HPCA had not mentioned in their report that the land was having many Chir Pine trees. While giving NOC,the then Range Officer and DFO Dharamshala had also not mentioned about the existence of Chir Pine trees in their reports and mentioned that it was a grass land without trees (Charagah Vila Darakhtan).”

The vigilance officials alleged there were strong and prime facie ground for registration of a fresh case as the officials have granted an undue favour to the HPCA . The FIR,thus,beside tightening noose around the HPCA would also result in booking the officials of revenue and forest department ,who were posted at key positions during the BJP regime.

The FIR alleges that these officials have willfully caused a wrongful loss to the state government by giving wrong report and concealing vital facts about the standing trees ,which were apparently felled illegally for construction of the hotel Pavilion.

Earlier the vigilance had arrested two engineers of the PWD,including a retired assistant engineer and a former principal of Dharamshala college had to take shelter of the High court to avoid his arrest by the vigilance .

The vigilance officials doesn’t rule out arrests and questioning of forest and revenue officials in the hotel Pavilion ‘s case. The state cabinet last month had canceled the land lease for the cricket stadium and also hotel but the High Court,which passed strong strictures against the government for forcible take over of the properties in a

mid-night action had restored the possession to the HPCA . Meanwhile the government now has appointed a nodal officer to start a fresh process to cancel the lease .

The HPCA spokesman said ” the vigilance is free to register as many FIRs as it wants.It’s an act of political vendetta to harass and victimise the government officials who only had followed the government orders that time”.