HT Bureau
NAMSAI, May 12: The Arunachal RTI Activist Youth Forum (ARTIAYF) on Monday announced that it has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Dibang Forest Division, Roing, over alleged irregularities and misuse of government funds.
According to the ARTIAYF President, the forum had filed a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking details of projects executed under the Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and Net Present Value (NPV) funds, amounting to Rs 452.71 lakh and Rs 426.39 lakh respectively, during the 2023–24 financial year.
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The President alleged that despite official records showing the funds as utilized, a site inspection revealed no visible maintenance work or plantation activities on the ground. “There is no evidence of plantation or upkeep at the designated sites, yet payments have been made. This clearly indicates misuse of public funds,” he asserted.
While some documents were furnished by the DFO in response to the RTI query, the forum claimed they lacked authenticity and that several critical documents are yet to be disclosed.
Calling for a comprehensive investigation, ARTIAYF urged the authorities to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public resources within the forest sector. The FIR has been lodged at the Vigilance office, with copies submitted to the Secretary of Environment and Forest, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), and other relevant officials.
