Allahabad HC slaps fine on forest officer for delay in framing rules for tigers' protection

The Allahabad High Court has asked the principal secretary (forest) to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 for the delay in preparing UP Special Tiger Protection Service rules and wasting time of the court.

A Lucknow bench of justices MN Bhandari and Manish Kumar passed the order on a pending PIL moved in 2016 for protection of tigers.

The Tiger Protection Force was constituted way back in 2013 but the rules have not been framed till date.

On January 7, 2020, the court had issued directions for completing process of preparing the rules, else the principal secretary forest and Chief Conservator of Forest/Field Director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Kheri, Sanaji Kumar would appear before it.

Kumar appeared before the court and informed it that the rules were not framed as yet.

When the court inquired about the principal secretary, the government lawyer intimated the court that he was busy in the assembly.

Angered on this, the court intended to issue him contempt notice. But the bench was apprised that the principal secretary was on the way to appear before the court and it was requested that the petition may be taken up after half an hour.

The bench said, "The court cannot run on the dictum of the officer rather the principal secretary was required to remain present when the case was called".

The court granted the principal secretary time on the condition of paying fine of Rs 25,000 for his default and wasting the court's time. The cost would have to be deposited with the State Legal Services Authority, Lucknow within 15 days.

Later, the principal secretary appeared before the court and informed it that the process of framing rules was taking time due to involvement of other departments like finance, personnel, home and legal.

He sought three months to complete the process.

Accepting his request, the bench granted him three months to prepare and place the rules for approval before the cabinet.