Shillong, Dec 8: The state government recently made a ‘tainted’ forest and environment department official the Principal Secretary in charge of the department, which made it impossible for any action against the official for the many commissions and omissions.
The state government has also been adopting an indifferent stand regarding the appointment and promotion of the official, thereby delaying action.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is currently holding the forest and environment portfolio after it was held by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
Allegations are against senior forest officer MBK Reddy (1993 batch), who was appointed as the principal secretary in- charge Mining and Geology department in August this year.
Later, the government appointed Reddy as the principal secretary in-charge forest and environment department.
According to documents, six promotions were obtained by Reddy in violation of the Department Promotion Committee (DPC) guidelines.
He is yet to face dismissal from the service and the subsequent jail term for the remaining 2 years awarded by the CBI Court, Indore and upheld by the Sessions Court, Indore.
In 2011, Reddy was convicted by the CBI Court, Indore, for an imprisonment of 2 years plus a fine for indulging in corrupt practices in the Civil Services Examination, 1996. Reddy breached the integrity of the Civil Services Examination.
According to the case, he obtained the paper in advance and took pre-written answer sheets to the examination hall, where he was caught red-handed by the invigilator. He confessed to his crime.
An appeal moved by Reddy against the order of his conviction was rejected by the Sessions Court, Indore.
After spending 16 days in the Indore Central Jail, Reddy is currently on bail granted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. His conviction has been suspended pending the hearing and disposal of the review petition filed by him.
In compliance of a recommendation of the Estimate Committee of the Lok Sabha, the central cadre controlling authority for the Indian Forest Service is insisting that all the 4 promotions obtained by him while prosecution for criminal charges was pending and 2 promotions obtained by him after his conviction by the CBI court should be withdrawn by holding a review DPC and he should be brought back to the position of Assistant Conservator of Forests which he would have held but for these erroneous promotions.
The UPSC has advised that defects in the disciplinary proceedings initiated against Reddy in compliance with a judgment of the High Court of Meghalaya should be removed by issuing a fresh office memorandum to propose a penalty of dismissal from the service, as is applicable for cases involving the conviction of a government servant. Advice of the UPSC is binding on the state government.
As per the guidelines issued by the Centre, a convicted officer like Reddy cannot hold any sensitive post involving the dealing of public funds, settlement of tenders and exercise of discretionary powers.
Ironically, instead of complying with the directions of the Centre to withdraw all the six promotions by holding the review DPC and to remove defects in disciplinary proceedings instituted against him by proposing imposition of a penalty of dismissal from the service and referring the matter to the Centre for making an order to dismiss him from the service which will make him ineligible for any future engagement under the Government and also to avail pension and gratuity, the Meghalaya government has placed almost the entire natural wealth of the state under the control of Reddy by giving him the posts of principal secretary of mining and geology department (08.08.2025) and forest and environment department (17.11.2025).
Case of punishing oneself
As a principal secretary to the forest and environment department, Reddy is expected to comply with the directions of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to hold a review DPC to withdraw all six promotions obtained by him so far in violation of the DPC guidelines. He is also responsible for complying with the advice of UPSC to rectify shortcomings in the disciplinary proceedings instituted against him in compliance with directions issued by the Meghalaya High Court by the order on July 6, 2022, by issuing a revised Office Memorandum to propose a penalty of his dismissal from the service.
Allegations are that Reddy will misuse the powers and authority vested in him in the post of principal secretary to the forest and environment department, not only to delay and derail the actions against him, but also to weaken the case against him. Destruction and disappearance of documentary evidence against him also cannot be ruled out, sources say.
Abstained from training
Earlier, while undergoing probationary training for the Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Reddy abstained from the training. He was discharged from the service.
Reddy was reinstated into the service by the Andhra Pradesh High Court by a brief order, without going into the merit of his discharge. The Centre reinstated him into the service without contesting the order that does not go into the merit of his discharge from the service.
Sources pointed out that Reddy is the only officer in the country who is not only in the service but also has obtained regular promotions and annual increments without completing the mandatory probationary training and without passing the mandatory departmental examinations.
During a recent interaction by this reporter, Reddy downplayed these charges and hinted at vested interests working against him.
However, he neither wanted to respond further nor wished to write about it.
