Company Name : Generic Source : The Times Of India

Who would want to blow the whistle on a scam in India. No one, if one is to go by Sanjiv Chaturvedi's case in Haryana. 

The 2002 batch forest officer blew the lid off several scams and raised alarm on violation of Supreme Court orders in Haryana. He saved a wildlife sanctuary from being destroyed and prevented crores of money from being siphoned off. 

For his courage the state government persecuted him for five years – illegally suspending him, fabricating a chargesheet against him and transferring him 12 times in five years. Now it has threatened to push for his dismissal by January 12. 

TOI reported on his case on Thursday after the Centre finalized a report exonerating him, recommending that all charges against him be revoked by the Centre, providing him relief. The unequivocal report demanded a CBI inquiry against politicians and senior officials and prosecution of other forest service and administrative service officials involved. 

Instead, the inspector general of forests (wildlife), A K Srivastava, recommended that the environment ministry merely send an advisory to the state government on the issue. Environment secretary Vijai Sharma too went with Srivastava's recommendation and suggested that the ministry send a report to the cabinet secretary, suggesting that the state government be "advised" to mend its ways. 

As per law, only the environment ministry is empowered to act in the case if the state doesn't and the cabinet secretary's office does not hold the powers to correct the wrongs done to Chaturvedi. 

With TOI publishing the report on Thursday the environment minister Jairam Ramesh intervened. "Even though I am informed that we have the power to override the chargesheet against Sanjiv Chaturvedi, I would like to give a chance to the state government," Ramesh said. 

He added, "even though the state government has shown marked reluctance over past five years we will give Haryana 45 days. If they don't act, we will examine our options." 

Defending his decision, which, at the moment, stops short of acting to save the young officer, Ramesh said, "My first instinct was to override the chargesheet... (but) realizing there is no precedence I have advised the officers to issue a letter giving 45 days to Haryana to rectify the wrong." 

Despite the environment minister's intervention, Chaturvedi may still be in the dock for being honest. As the report goes to press, it remains to be seen what next step the government may or may not take to save the career of its own officer.