Minister claims Uttarakhand CM Dhami didn’t overrule others on Rajaji posting, but records show otherwise

On Facebook, Chief Minister Dhami posted a video clip of Uniyal’s remarks, and said the Forest Minister had rejected the report in The Indian Express while making clear that the appointment decision had been unanimous.

Official records, reviewed by The Indian Express, show otherwise.

Forest Minister’s note asking the CM to reconsider posting

As reported by The Indian Express, the first step to get Rahul, the officer ousted from Corbett, back in charge of a tiger reserve took place on July 18 when Minister Uniyal, with approval from the Chief Minister, proposed his appointment as Rajaji director on July 18.

But the Forest Minister himself resubmitted the file to the Chief Minister on July 24 seeking his approval to maintain status quo with Rahul and also proposed the name of another officer for the Rajaji post.

This was after a note routed through the Principal Secretary and the Chief Secretary sought to reconsider the decision to post the officer in Rajaji “in view of an ongoing disciplinary proceeding” against him, a “CBI probe” and a “case in the Supreme Court” regarding the illegal activities inside Corbett.

Disregarding these submissions, file notes show, Chief Minister Dhami reiterated the decision to post Rahul in Rajaji through a handwritten note on August 8.

Asked about this letter signed by him on July 24 in which it was recommended that the decision to appoint Rahul on the post be reconsidered, Uniyal told The Indian Express Thursday that he had taken the file, personally, to the Chief Minister and they had a discussion after which it was decided that Rahul’s posting to Rajaji should continue.

However, the sequence of events, according to official records, is this:

July 1: The Civil Service Board chaired by the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary proposed transfers of 12 IFoS officers. This included shifting the then-director of Corbett TR to the office of CCF (Kumaon) and posting the then-director of Rajaji TR as the director of Corbett TR. The Board did not propose a replacement for director, Rajaji TR.

July 18: A note by the Forest Minister, with approval from the Chief Minister, modified the proposed transfer list. One of the additions was to appoint Rahul, then CCF (Monitoring, Evaluation, IT & Modernisation) as director of Rajaji TR.

July 22: File notes routed through the Principal Secretary (Forest) and the Chief Secretary sought reconsideration of the decision “in view of the ongoing disciplinary proceedings against Rahul, the CBI probe and the case in the Supreme Court regarding illegal felling and construction work for Pakhro tiger safari inside Corbett TR.”

Proposing giving the additional charge of the Rajaji director to an eligible officer serving in the adjoining areas, the note sought approval to maintain the status quo with Rahul.

July 24: The Forest Minister forwarded the proposal to keep Rahul at his post and give the additional charge of Rajaji TR to CF (Bhagirathi Circle) for the Chief Minister’s approval.

August 8: A handwritten note by Chief Minister Dhami reiterated approval for Rahul’s posting as Rajaji director: “The appointment of CCF Rahul in Rajaji director’s post, vacated by the posting of Rajaji director to Corbett, was proposed and the same has been approved. Issue order accordingly.”

August 9: The state issued the order to post Rahul as Rajaji’s director.

In January 2022, the Uttarakhand High Court directed the state government to take action against officials responsible for the illegal felling and construction inside Corbett. In April 2022, the state suspended two forest officers and removed Rahul from the post of Corbett’s director. He was attached to the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) in Dehradun.

In a written statement issued Thursday, the state government said the case related to the irregularities in question is being investigated by CBI/ED in accordance with the order of the High Court.

“There is no such provision in the rules related to disciplinary action promulgated by the Central Government/State Government at present, under which if any investigation proceedings are pending against an officer, then he cannot be given posting. It is only noted that posting cannot be given at the place of posting where a complaint of irregularity has been made in the past, pending investigation,” its statement said. It added that the final outcome of the CBI probe will determine if action is warranted against Rahul.