'Why have you employed forest fire staff on election duty': SC slams Uttarakhand govt
Uttarakhand forest fire: A state official countered that election duty was completed, and the chief secretary had instructed against assigning any officials for poll duty. However, the bench expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the state of making excuses.
- May 15, 2024,
- Updated May 15, 2024 3:24 PM IST
The Supreme Court criticised the Uttarakhand government on Wednesday regarding the forest fires in the state, questioning the deployment of forest fire staff for poll duty. "Why have you employed the forest fire staff on election duty amidst fire?" the top court asked the counsel for the Uttarakhand government.
A state official countered that election duty was completed, and the chief secretary had instructed against assigning any officials for poll duty. However, the bench expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the state of making excuses.
During the hearing on the pleas about the forest fires, advocate Parmeshwar stated that a significant fire was still blazing, with 40% of the forest affected. The Uttarakhand counsel denied any new fires and claimed that the state government had not received central funds to address the forest fire.
The counsel stated that a six-member committee from the Centre and the state could assist in controlling the ongoing fires, describing the situation as a fire-fighting operation. Over 9,000 personnel are employed in this effort, and 420 cases have been registered.
Meetings with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are taking place every other day in an attempt to manage the situation, the counsel said. The counsel highlighted funding as a major concern, asserting that with adequate resources, the situation could have been better managed. He urged the Centre to contribute to assisting the state.
The Uttarakhand government stated that they are still in the process of filling vacancies after having filled 1,205 posts last year, in response to the bench's query about the steps taken to 'procure the equipment' amidst '280 fires in Uttarakhand alone'.
Uttarakhand has seen more than 1,437 hectares of green cover affected by forest fires since November, as per a Forest Department bulletin. However, the recent rains across various parts of the state have brought a temporary halt to the forest fires, with no new incidents reported in the past few days.
The Supreme Court criticised the Uttarakhand government on Wednesday regarding the forest fires in the state, questioning the deployment of forest fire staff for poll duty. "Why have you employed the forest fire staff on election duty amidst fire?" the top court asked the counsel for the Uttarakhand government.
A state official countered that election duty was completed, and the chief secretary had instructed against assigning any officials for poll duty. However, the bench expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the state of making excuses.
During the hearing on the pleas about the forest fires, advocate Parmeshwar stated that a significant fire was still blazing, with 40% of the forest affected. The Uttarakhand counsel denied any new fires and claimed that the state government had not received central funds to address the forest fire.
The counsel stated that a six-member committee from the Centre and the state could assist in controlling the ongoing fires, describing the situation as a fire-fighting operation. Over 9,000 personnel are employed in this effort, and 420 cases have been registered.
Meetings with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are taking place every other day in an attempt to manage the situation, the counsel said. The counsel highlighted funding as a major concern, asserting that with adequate resources, the situation could have been better managed. He urged the Centre to contribute to assisting the state.
The Uttarakhand government stated that they are still in the process of filling vacancies after having filled 1,205 posts last year, in response to the bench's query about the steps taken to 'procure the equipment' amidst '280 fires in Uttarakhand alone'.
Uttarakhand has seen more than 1,437 hectares of green cover affected by forest fires since November, as per a Forest Department bulletin. However, the recent rains across various parts of the state have brought a temporary halt to the forest fires, with no new incidents reported in the past few days.