Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a show cause notice to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Baliguda in Kandhamal district over the unnatural death of an elephant.
Official sources said that the department of Forest, Environment & Climate Change has issued the notice to Baliguda DFO Ghanashyam Mahanta for alleged negligence in handling the unnatural death of an elephant in Belghar Reserve Forest.
The notice pointed out that the carcass of the elephant was detected on January 5 and the DFO did not submit the preliminary report to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Collector, RCCF and government within 24 hours of detection, thereby violating the prescribed guidelines.
“Whereas, your report prima facie and subsequent action taken by your staff to suppress the incidence indicate regarding unnatural death of the elephant and connivance of the staff in commission of offence, which needs thorough and timely enquiry to ascertain the offenders and their arrest. But no action has been taken by you as of now in this regard,” it said.
“Therefore, you are called upon to explain within 15 days as to why disciplinary action shall not be taken against you for the lapses as stated above,” the notice stated.
Earlier, Baliguda assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Suryakant Behera had been suspended for shoddy probe into the death of the elephant in Kandhamal district.
Deputy ranger of Belaghar Binay Kumar Bisi has also been suspended on for allegedly trying to hush up the death of elephant in Baliguda division of Kandhamal.
On January 5, forest officials had found the carcass of a tusker near Jharapani under Belaghar range. The officials ruled out poaching as both the tusks were found intact on the carcass. The carcass was initially buried, but later allegedly exhumed, cut into pieces, and reburied at different locations.
