RAIPUR: Continuing his crackdown on officials for alleged negligence in implementing government schemes, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday ordered the suspension of three forest officials, including a Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), during his public interaction drive in the state's Surajpur district.
Soon after the CM's directive, the state forest and climate change department issued suspension orders of Surajpur DFO Manish Kashyap, who is a 2015 batch Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer, Superintendent of Semarsot Wildlife Sanctuary Budhsai Bhagat and Forest Range Officer (Ghui Range-Surajpur) S Sanskriti Barle.
Bhagat was then posted as Sub Divisional Forest Officer in Surajpur.
As a part of his constituency-wise drive, called 'Bhent Mulaqat', to seek direct feedback from people about the functioning of his government and implementation of welfare schemes, Baghel on Friday reached Govindpur village in Pratappur assembly segment which falls in Surajpur, a government official said.
"On getting complaints from villagers related to setting up 'gauthan' under Avarti Charai Scheme, the CM ordered suspension of the officials," he said.
In a video clip of the programme, the CM can be heard issuing directions for their suspension and then asking two officials were present there to leave.
"Those responsible (for laxity) will be suspended. Government schemes are aimed at the welfare of people and farmers but they (pointing towards officials) are making a mockery of it," the CM said.
As per the suspension orders, these officials allegedly showed indifference towards setting up 'gauthan' (places in villages where cattle are kept in daytime) under a scheme of the forest department.
On the first day of his visit to Kusmi in Balrampur district on Wednesday, the CM had suspended Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) of Kusmi Nagar Panchayat, while some other officials, including two patwaris (village level revenue officer), were also suspended on his direction over two days.