BHUBANESWAR: A special audit of the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) has been ordered, days after Odisha Forest and Environment minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia assured that a probe would be conducted into the alleged irregularities in procurement and customisation of vehicles.
The vehicles were meant for the field officers.
In an order, Singhkhuntia has directed that a special audit of the office of the PCCF (wildlife) be conducted by the special audit team of the Accountant General (A&E), Odisha, with special emphasis on the entire process of procurement and customisation of vehicles.
Sources said the team would ascertain whether unnecessary expenditure has been incurred in the procurement and modification of vehicles and whether all the processes for such financial transactions have been followed properly.
"Action as per rules would be initiated if anyone is found guilty," sources said. Following media reports about the alleged irregularities in procurement and customisation of different vehicles by the PCCF (WL), the minister has asked the additional chief secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department to treat this order as 'most urgent' and ensure that the special audit is conducted immediately.
Earlier, Singhkhuntia had said that the Forest Department would investigate the purchase and modification of SUVs meant for wildlife monitoring and patrolling after allegations of irregularities in such expenditure.
Responding to questions in this regard last week, he told mediapersons that patrolling vehicles are procured and modified after being approved at the PCCF level, as per the requisition of the DFOs.
Accordingly, a fleet of vehicles had been purchased and modified last year. “However, if the money spent on the modification of vehicles is beyond the requirement, appropriate action will be initiated. When the question of illegality arises, our government will investigate it,” Singhkhuntia had said.
As per reports, the state government had inducted around 140 vehicles, including 51 all-terrain vehicles, for different forest divisions last year.
The government also informed the Assembly earlier this year that a total of 51 Mahindra Thar vehicles had been procured by the Forest department in 2024-25 fiscal at a cost of around Rs 7.14 crore, while an additional Rs 5.25 crore had been spent towards modification.
The vehicles had been procured for monitoring and regular patrolling on non-motorable roads inside forests.
