Khammam forest officer suspended over fake NOC issuance

Hyderabad: A forest department officer in Khammam district has been suspended in connection with the alleged fake No Objection Certificate (NOC) scam.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Suvarna, on Saturday, October 11, issued suspension orders against Khammam Forest Range Officer (FRO) Nageshwar Rao.

The action follows revelations about the illegal issuance of fake forest NOCs from Chintakani mandal.

In response, District Forest Officer Siddharth Vikram Singh suspended Beat Officer Srikanth on the same day the issue came to light. Later, on October 8, Bhadrachalam Circle CCF Bhimanayak suspended Section Officer Kavitha for her role in the same case.

3 officers from same range suspended in short span

With the latest suspension of FRO Nageshwar Rao, a total of three officers from the same range have been suspended within a short span.

Meanwhile, senior officials have initiated both internal and vigilance inquiries into the issuance of fake NOCs.