Forest officers

Quoting the inquiry report, FIR, lodged on May 5, says director Sharma was aware that calling tenders was in violation of the Indian forest act and the Supreme Court ban on sand mining in forest areas.

Sharma pursued the proposal despite the state government not responding to his letter in September 2017 as it violated norms, the FIR says.

“The proposal was aimed at creating ecological imbalance within the forest areas as sand mining inside forests would mean use of heavy machinery and movement of vehicles and therefore it was scrapped,” the FIR said.

An official of the Uttar Pradesh forest department familiar with the matter said the corporation had no right to issue tenders without the permission of the forest department and without analysing if eco-restoration was needed.

The investigation was on and statements of the accused were being recorded, station house officer of Gazipur police station Surjeet Kumar Rai said. held for 621 zila parishad, 6,123 panchayat samiti and 31,802 gram panchayat seats in 20 districts of West Bengal on May 14.

Of the 48,650 gram panchayat seats,16,814 went uncontested. There was also no contest for 3,059 of the 9,217 panchayat samiti seats. Candidates for 203 zila parishad seats among the 825 were elected unopposed, SEC sources said.

ELECTIONS WERE HELD FOR 621 ZILA PARISHAD, 6,123 PANCHAYAT

SAMITI AND 31,802 GRAM PANCHAYAT SEATS IN 20 DISTRICTS OF

BENGAL ON MAY 14