Uttarakhand Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has defended Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the latter’s alleged appointment of the new director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve even as a CBI probe is pending against the IFS official.

Subodh Uniyal said on Thursday that the chief minister did not give his assent to appoint IFS officer Rahul as the new director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve without his and the chief secretary’s consent. He said reports claiming that the chief minister overruled the minister and chief secretary in appointing Rahul, even as a CBI probe was pending against the officer, were untrue and baseless.

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According to the minister, Rahul’s appointment was made after a recommendation by him and chief secretary Radha Raturi following which the chief minister adhered to his assent.

“There are reports that the new chief minister bypassed the recommendations of the forest minister and chief secretary in the appointment of IS officer Rahul as the new director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve even as a CBI inquiry was pending against him. It is being said the minister and chief secretary had advised against Rahul’s field posting owing to the ongoing CBI investigation. This is completely untrue. It was done only after my consent and chief secretary as well.” said the minister.

Uniyal claimed mere a CBI inquiry in a matter pertaining to his past deployment cannot be the reason for not bestowing an important responsibility to a competent officer. “As for the CBI probe, it’s not against Rahul as such but pertaining to an incident of tree felling in a CTR forest range when the official was heading the reserve. Had it been against Rahul in particular things would have been different. Anyone found guilty in the probe will not be spared. We had already suspended a PCCF rank official and jailed a DFO in the matter that was handed out to the CBI by the High Court. Rahul has good experience of handling reserve forest area matters as he earlier headed CTR” said Uniyal.

It’s significant that IFS officer Rahul’s appointment turned controversial after reports surfaced that Chief Minister Dhami vetoed for it against the recommendation of the forest minister and Chief Secretary Radha Raturi. As per reports, the minister and chief secretary had recommended that Rahul not be deployed in the field as a CBI probe was pending in an illegal tree felling incident in the Corbett when Rahul headed the reserve.

The CBI probe pertains to massive illegal tree felling and other irregularities that came to light at Pakhro Range of CTR in the guise of developing a tiger safari two years ago. The matter hogged the limelight as it was projected as a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Initially, the investigation was taken up by the state vigilance, and cases were filed against some officials including a former DFO and others. Former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat was also questioned by the state agency.

However, the probe was later handed to the CBI following an order by the high court in 2023.