Ballia (UP), Jul 27 (PTI) Forest department officers have accused BJP MLA Ketakee Singh and his supporters of allegedly misbehaving with them in their office here after they took action against an illegal saw being used to fell trees in the Maniyar area, officials said on Saturday.
Ketakee Singh, however, denied the allegations, and said they were levelled against her after she found that some forest department officers were “involved in corruption”.
District Magistrate Praveen Kumar told PTI on Saturday that the matter came to his notice on Friday and he has sent a report on the matter to the state government that night.
Forest department Deputy Divisional Officer Kumari Urvashi said she has reported Singh’s “misbehaviour” to the Superintendent of Police in a letter.
Urvashi told reporters Friday evening that forest department officials responded to a complaint registered on IGRS, the Chief Minister’s complaint portal, about a saw that was being illegally used in Maniyar area in Ballia.
A joint team of the forest department and the departmental enforcement team was sent to take action on Friday, the deputy divisional office said.
She said the team found that a saw machine was being operated illegally, took action on the spot as per rules and returned to the forest department office.
After this, MLA Ketakee Singh reached the forest department office with party workers who misbehaved with the officials regarding the action, the deputy divisional office said.
Singh, however, told PTI on Saturday that the allegations are “baseless”.
The Bansdih MLA said she participated in a tree plantation programme in Raksa village of Sikandarpur area of the district on Friday.
“After the programme, I went to the forest department office to inquire about the security arrangements for the tree plantation. Many officers as well as most of the employees were absent in the office,” she said.
“I found that some officers are involved in corruption. The forest department officers are making false allegations in their defence when questioned about it. These allegation is baseless,” the MLA said.
Singh added that being a woman MLA she would never allow misbehaviour against a woman in her presence.
DM Praveen Kumar said that further action in the matter will be taken on the instructions of the state government. PTI COR CDN CDN SKY SKY
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