Assam: BTR Forest School project faces corruption, bureaucratic hurdles

Guwahati: The long-awaited dream of establishing a Forest School in Assam's Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), a longstanding demand of the local people, has been marred by allegations of corruption and bureaucratic red tape.

Sources said despite initial government approvals and budgetary allocations, the project has faced significant delays and setbacks, leaving the aspirations of the people of BTR in limbo.

The project's journey began in 2019 when the Assam Government approved the creation of a budgetary head for the construction of a Forest School at Kajalgaon in Chirang district.

However, the project was kept under the administrative control of the State-Owned Planned Development (SOPD) instead of being allocated through the separate budget for VI Schedule areas, a departure from usual practices.

"The budgets for the VI Schedule areas are normally allocated separately from the General Budget of the Assam Government. The Budget Manual of the Government of Assam explicitly prohibits the use of funds allocated for General Areas in VI Schedule areas, and vice versa," said a source.

"However, the then Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Research, Education & Working Plan, M.K. Yadava, proposed to include the budget for Kajalgaon Forest School under the SOPD in the General Budget and to maintain full administrative control over it," the source added.

As a result, in 2019 a new Budget Head was created under the SOPD of the General Budget of Assam for the construction of a Forest School at Kajalgaon, and an amount of Rs.1 Crore was allocated for the purpose. 

Since a Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) is necessary for disbursing the fund to the contractors upon successful completion of work, the D.F.O., Genetics Cell Division, Guwahati under Research, Education & Working Plan Circle was made the DDO for the Kajalgaon Forest School.  The matter was kept entirely out of the purview of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) administration.

In 2020, the DFO, Genetics Cell Division, Guwahati, issued a tender for Rs. 4,90,000 to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Kajalgaon Forest School. The DPR was subsequently completed in 2021.

Following this, in 2022, the DFO awarded tenders worth Rs. 2.45 Crores for various construction projects at the identified site, including earth filling, a compound wall, and watchtowers.

Allegations surfaced during this time, claiming that a top forest department official had solicited bribes from the contractor involved in the project.

Despite the award of the tenders, construction work did not commence immediately. The majority of the development works were carried out in 2023.

A contractor, Jyoti Prakash Agarwalla, who was awarded the work, could not complete the work on time. Eventually, bills for Rs.60 lakhs were submitted by the contractor to the DFO, Genetics Cell Division.

At this point, it was decided to assign a different DDO for the proposed Forest School. The DFO of Aie Valley Division was suggested to take on this role for the Kajalgaon Forest School. A formal proposal to this effect was submitted from Assam PCCF's office to the State Secretariat.

The situation took a turn for the worse when a Joint Secretary level officer in the Environment & Forest Department allegedly demanded bribes from the contractor for processing the necessary files.

Northeast Now has learnt that having no alternative recourse, the contractor paid Rs.8 lakhs to the officer for processing the file. But the officer kept demanding for more. 

Despite the contractor's insistence that the bill was only for Rs. 60 lakhs and that they could not afford the additional amount demanded by the officer, his pleas were ignored. The official remained adamant. The official allegedly had a pattern of accepting smaller bribes within the Secretariat and larger ones outside.

The contractor's complaints to higher authorities fell on deaf ears. "The contractor subsequently met with M.K. Yadava, the Special Chief Secretary of the Forest Department, and reported that the officer was demanding a bribe from him. However, Yadava did not address the contractor's complaint," said the source.

It is learnt that the contractor has now approached the Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Department and the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell.

The hopes of the people of BTR for a Forest School in Kajalgaon appear to have been hindered by bureaucratic red tape and corruption.

The construction of the Kajalgaon Forest School is uncertain at this time. It is estimated that an additional Rs. 100 crores will be required to build the necessary official and residential buildings on the identified site.

The allegations of corruption and bureaucratic delays have not only stalled the construction of the Forest School but have also eroded the trust of the local community in the government's ability to deliver on its promises.

The question remains: why was the construction of the Forest School, located within the BTR, kept outside the purview of the BTC authority?