Chandrapur being the main forest district of the State, this might result in stalling the growth of forests in the region. The district gets funds from the district administration for preliminary plantation operation (PPO) in the forest area. The funds are normally passed by the DPDC, of which the Guardian Minister is the chairperson and the collector, the member secretary.

According to information, whenever the issue of PPO allocation came up before the DPDC, the Guardian Minister reportedly took the stand that the Forest Department was holding up several projects on the pretext of implementing the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and hence, rejected the proposals.

But Forest Department sources say the reasons behind such stalling reveals a totallydifferent story.

A few straight-forward forest officers, who were recently posted there, reportedly launched a massive drive against poaching, illegal quarrying and forest cutting, which have angered a section of politicians in the district.

The Brahmapuri forest division, prone to illicit cutting, was reportedly restored to a normal forest growth division recently, on account of several measures adopted by the officials.

In 1997, around 18 lakh trees were cut in the division, of which, over six lakh trees cut illegally were seized by the Department.

According to sources, the Divisional Forest Officer B P Singh, was ridiculed by the minister in a recent DPDC meeting, held for arriving at ways to stop illegal activities. The higher-ups in the district reportedly tried to transfer the officer, who was posted a year-and-a-half ago, three times.

The minister was reportedly irked by the Forest Department blocking projects, particularly irrigation dams, on the basis of the FCA, and said at the meetingthat forest officials deliberately gave negative remarks so as to stall clearance for the projects. Around 100 projects in the district, of which 44 are irrigation projects, were blocked on account of the FCA.

Forest officials asked how they could give positive remarks to projects under the `protected forest' purview. ``There are a few coal projects which come in the core forest area. How can we clear such projects?'', asked a senior forest official, and said only the Union Forests and Environment Ministry could clear such projects.

``But we have given the green signal to several minor projects, some of which are before the State nodal officer and Union Environment and Forests ministry for final approval,'' he pointed out.

Further, when some forest officials insisted on securing DPDC funds for forest development, the district collector reportedly told them to use Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) funds for the purpose.

Chandrapur is probably the lone district in the State to be deprived of DPDC fundsfor the PPO.

Meanwhile, Phadnavis dismissed allegations that the DPDC was not funding the Forest Department. She told The Indian Express that the DPDC sanctioned Rs 15 lakh to the Forest Department for the development of Manikgarh as a tourist place last year, whereas the department ``did not use a paisa'' for the purpose.

According to her, Rs 3 crore was recently granted for bamboo plantation in the district. However, the amount was granted from the EGS and not the DPDC.

She expressed anguish over the ``negative approach of the forest officials'' for clearing projects in forest areas. ``Several projects are pending due to forest hurdles. It is difficult to carry out developmental projects in the district'', she said.

She also lambasted forest officials for stopping quarrying activities in the district. ``Most of the quarries are on revenue land. By preventing the exploitation of quarries, the forest officials have blocked the road works of the district,'' she alleged, adding the forestofficials' ``negative approach'' to development had earned them the public's ire.