The State Government on Tuesday suspended three more forest officers, including two officers of the Indian Forest Service (IFS), in connection with the multi-crore mining scam at Uliburu in Keonjhar district.
The two IFS officers are Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Pradip Rajkarat and Deputy Coordinator, Odisha Bamboo Development Agency, Sarat Mohanty. Rajkarat and Mohanty were divisional forest officers of Keonjhar. Four field level staff of the department were suspended last month taking the total number to eight. The four officials, who were suspended on charges of dereliction of duty, are forester Ravindra Mohanty and forest guards Bhagirathi Mishra, Mathuri Swain and Jaykrushna Das.
Though three others, forester Jagannath Mishra, forest guards Jagabandhu Mohanta and Dasaratha Mohanta were found guilty, they have since retired.
It was found that private mines’ owners shifted the boundary pillars of their lease areas, which is a serious offence.
The Government is taking action against negligent officers who were posted in Keonjhar for more than four months.