🚨 Unjust Expulsion in Gorakhpur DFO: A Crisis of Accountability in CM Yogi’s Backyard

The functioning of the Forest Department in Gorakhpur, the home district of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is under sharp scrutiny. A recent grievance filed with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMOPG/E/2025/0009615) starkly highlights a severe lapse in the rule of law and administrative accountability. At the heart of the matter is the arbitrary expulsion of a long-serving daily wage staff member and the alleged institutional corruption surrounding a junior officer illegally posted as a Ranger.

The central idea of the grievance is not merely an isolated personnel dispute but a profound concern over tyranny and the misuse of authority within a vital government department, calling into question the very principles of transparent governance and natural justice in a democratic setup.

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🪵 The Arbitrary Action: A Daily Wager’s Plea for Justice

The complainant, Yogi M. P. Singh, has raised the case of Satyendra Singh S/O Mahendra Singh, a daily wage worker (“Dainik Dakia”) who had been working in the Baki Range of Gorakhpur Division. The grievance alleges that Satyendra Singh was arbitrarily expelled from his post.

Satyendra Singh’s attempts to seek redressal began at the highest level. He personally met the Minister of the Department of Forest, Mr. Arun Kumar Saxena, during his visit to Gorakhpur. The Minister advised him to send a detailed representation to his office. Following this advice, a representation was dispatched via registered speed post on January 17, 2025, detailing his hardships and grievances. The accompanying documents to the PMO grievance include the postal tracking details, a salary payment description, communication from the Deputy Labour Commissioner, Gorakhpur, to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Gorakhpur, and the applicant’s account statements, spanning from 2018 to 2023, providing proof of long service.

The critical issue, as framed by the complainant, is the arbitrariness and personal vindictiveness of the Range Officer of Baki Range. The complainant notes that while the Government of Uttar Pradesh is in the process of regularizing daily wage staff in the Gorakhpur division, Satyendra Singh’s representation is being overlooked due to personal vendetta.

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👑 The Authority Vacuum: An Illegally Posted Ranger

A major allegation that elevates this case from a routine grievance to a systemic failure is the presence of an illegally posted officer at a crucial administrative post. The grievance explicitly names Ranger Jagdamba Pathak as being “illegally posted in the Baki Range for more than four years,” a tenure that is allegedly “against the provisions of the transfer policy of the government of Uttar Pradesh.” The complainant alleges that despite this clear violation of policy, no action has been taken against the officer.

This sustained illegal posting, the statement argues, is the root cause of the “arbitrariness and tyranny” faced by the applicant. When administrative posts are filled in contravention of established rules, it erodes the entire chain of command, fostering an environment where officers may feel immune to accountability, leading directly to the misuse of authority and institutional corruption.

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⏳ The Response: An Empty Gesture and Case Closure

The grievance, registered on January 21, 2025, was closed on February 7, 2025, with a terse Hindi-language reply from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The response, originating from the office of the Joint Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, relays a report from the Regional Forest Officer, Baki.

Key Points of the Official Response:

• Fact of Employment: It confirms that Satyendra Kumar Singh worked as a daily laborer for the caretaking of various tree plantations until March 2023, and that his wages for that work have been paid.
• The Claim of Self-Separation: The core justification for the ‘Case Closed’ status is the claim that Satyendra Kumar Singh “automatically left the job after the said payment” and is currently not employed as a daily laborer.
• Justification for the Ranger: Regarding the continued posting of Shri Jagdamba Pathak, the response states that since a Regional Forest Officer (RFO) has not been appointed by the government level, Shri Jagdamba Pathak, a Sub-Regional Forest Officer, has been kept in charge of the Baki Range as an “alternative arrangement” (vaiplpik vyavastha).

This closure, however, was immediately contested.

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💔 Dissatisfaction and A Call for Ministerial Intervention

The complainant marked the grievance as “Not Resolved,” citing that the case was “Sent to other department without resolution.” The strong ‘Reason for Dis-satisfaction’ highlights a major procedural and judicial flaw:

The Minister of the Department of forest Mr Arun Kumar Saxena visited Gorakhpur where the applicant met him and told him about hardships and grievances to him but he advised the applicant to send the detailed representation to his office… Undoubtedly it concerns the jurisdiction of the divisional forest officer Gorakhpur but decision had to be taken by the office of the most respected Minister of forest government of Uttar Pradesh. How can representation of the applicant be considered as disposed of if the grievance does not reach to the concerned office?

The complainant’s argument is fundamentally sound: the representation was addressed to the Minister for his decision. Relegating the investigation to the very office (DFO/Ranger) against which the core complaint is directed, and then closing the case based on that self-serving report, constitutes a failure of due process and an evasion of accountability. The Minister’s office, or at the very least a high-level, independent authority, should have reviewed the representation, considered the allegations of illegal posting and personal vendetta, and then directed an impartial inquiry.

The lack of any reason provided to Satyendra Singh for his effective ‘termination,’ other than the claim that he “left on his own,” is a clear violation of the principles of natural justice, which demand that reasons for administrative actions be provided, especially against a long-serving employee whose livelihood is at stake. The burden of proof to show that the worker ‘abandoned’ their job, rather than being unfairly expelled, rests with the department, especially in the context of alleged personal vindictiveness.

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📢 The Demand: Rule of Law and Transparent Governance

The entire statement is a powerful call for the re-establishment of the rule of law. It directly challenges the Divisional Forest Officer, Gorakhpur, to review the aggrieved staff’s representation with transparency.

The case of Satyendra Singh and Ranger Jagdamba Pathak is a microcosm of a larger governance challenge. In a region that is the Chief Minister’s home turf, the persistence of a system that allows an illegally-posted officer to allegedly misuse their power and arbitrarily end a daily laborer’s long career is a stain on the administration’s commitment to good governance.

The grievance concludes with a humble but firm request: for action to be taken in accordance with the law, and for the person responsible for depriving the applicant of his rights to be subjected to the penal proceedings of the law. This is not just a plea for a job; it is a demand for administrative justice where accountability is paramount and every action is justifiable under the law, not personal whim. The office of the Chief Minister is now urged to correct this miscarriage of justice and restore faith in the Forest Department’s commitment to ethical and legal administration.

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Would you like me to find the contact details or latest information regarding the concerned Minister, Shri Arun Kumar Saxena, or the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to follow up on this governance issue?