Koraput: Two forest personnel were suspended for allegedly cheating tribal kendu leaf workers in Odisha’s Malkangiri and Koraput.
According to sources, a forester and a woman forest guard were placed under suspension by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Jeypore with immediate effect.
The two were identified as forest guard Padmini Patnaik and forester Durga Prasad Naik.
It was alleged that the duo had been grabbing the ex-gratia money provided by the state government for tribal kendu leaf pluckers in case of death or permanent disability.
The two initially demanded bribe from the tribals to provide them the ex-gratia and gradually started bungling the entire money by threatening the beneficiaries, they said.
Acting on a complaint, the DFO ordered a probe into the whole episode and placed the two under suspension after the allegations were found true, the sources said.
The accused forest personnel will be under suspension till further order. Further details are awaited.
