The accountant general (AG) office, Gwalior, has severely indicted the MP State Eco Tourism Development Board (MPEDB) for carrying out works in forest areas without getting required permission, for not furnishing utilisation certificates of works claimed to have been completed by it and using its funds for carrying out activities not in consonance with its bye laws.
The documents, obtained by Ajay Dubey of Prayatna through Right To Information Act, point out that even though the union ministry of Environment and Forests had in May 2010 clarified that eco-tourism is a non-forestry activity and hence construction of permanent structure has been seen as a violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the MPEDB spent Rs. 710.65 lakh between 2005-06 and 2011 on construction and no records of permission under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 were found with the documents.
Full report here Hindustan Times
