Out of jail, Naik blames govt, eyes Cabinet return

The Indian Express from his posh Purna Society apartment in Worli when asked to comment on the verdict.

On any plan to return to the Cabinet, Naik made oblique references to his clout with the party high command in Delhi. ‘‘In the 1980s, Babasaheb Bhonsle, the then Maharashtra Chief Minister, asked me to resign from the Cabinet. I did. But Bhonsle was sacked within 15 days of my resignation. And I bounced back into the cabinet.’’

Naik, an influential Bheel leader from Nadurbar, is known for his closeness to the Gandhi family.

‘‘I have full faith in the party high command. I will wait for further orders from the leadership,’’ he said.

Govt shifts principal chief conservator, must look for new incumbent by August

NAGPUR: The government has decided to shift Maharashtra Principal Chief Conservator J N Saxena for his ‘‘negative attitude, indifference and neglect’’. He will be replaced with Forest Development Corporation of India Managing Director K Subramanian, who is due for retirement in the end of July. It means the Forest Ministry will have to look for a fresh incumbent within a month.

However, the reason for Saxena’s transfer was being cited by sources as his differences with Forest Minister Babanrao Pachpute on several issues. They have been at loggerheads over the proposal by some urban co-operative banks in western Maharashtra to develop forests on forest land in Thane area. The PCCF reportedly took the position that the land could not be given without Supreme Court’s permission and any such act would amount to contempt of court. Pachpute was at odds with the PCCF’s stand.

Another issue pertained to a proposal by a private company to develop the scenic Pratapgarh area near Mahabaleshwar into a world-class eco-tourism centre. Saxena was opposed to it too, sources said.

— Vivek Deshpande