“Absolutely false…”: Uttarakhand Forest Minister on reports of CM Dhami overruling everyone to appoint head of Rajaji Tiger Reserve

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 29 (ANI): Reacting to a media report that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami bypassed the Minister and Chief Secretary to appoint the Director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, State Forest Minister, Subodh Uniyal said on Thursday that it is false and the decision was made after his and CM’s consent.

Uniyal told ANI, “There has been a media report that the CM has bypassed the Minister, Chief Secretary and everyone else to appoint the Director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

This is false. The decision was taken unanimously, it was made after the consent of CM and me. As far as the media report of the CBI inquiry is concerned, the CBI inquiry is going on against several people in several matters. Strict action has been taken if something is found against them. CBI inquiry doesn’t mean that everyone in the department is considered guilty.”

The media report has mentioned that CM Pushkar Singh Dhami appointed the head of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, who was removed from the head post of Corbett Tiger Reserve.

Meanwhile, the Tiger Conservation Foundation has been formed for Rajaji Tiger Reserve, which has been pending for 9 years. A 10-year proposal for forest landscape restoration is being prepared, incorporating all the points of wildlife management in the state for which an amount of Rs 32 crore has been approved by the Government of India in the financial year 2024-25. An amount of Rs 10 crore 50 lakh has been allocated to the forest divisions for the purchase of modern equipment in the financial year 2023-24 to prevent human-wildlife conflict in the state.

Earlier, CM Pushkar Dhami announced that under the Uttarakhand Climate-Friendly Rainfed Agriculture Project, various works like increasing crop productivity, tree plantation and soil erosion prevention will be done to increase the income of farmers. Along with this, agricultural clusters and agri business growth centers for high value crop production will also be established in different areas of the state. Dhami said his government was working with determination for the upliftment of the food producers.