Shillong, Feb 1: The state government is planning to appoint a ‘tainted’ forest official as Chairperson of Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), a source said on Sunday.
According to sources, in spite of unfavourable records, immediately on his retirement from the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (PCCF & HoFF) on July 31, Ranjit Singh Gill was appointed as Advisor to the Government of Meghalaya in the Forest and Environment Department. As an advisor, Gill is enjoying post-retirement salary, allowances, perks and other privileges.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is holding the Forest and Environment portfolio.
Sources added that decks have been cleared for the appointment of Gill to the top post of MSPCB.
Rules framed by the Centre provide that the process for appointment of the Chairman of a State Pollution Control Board can be initiated by a Selection Committee headed by the Chief Secretary of the state concerned, six months before the anticipated vacancy. The current Chairman of the MSPCB, R. Nainamalai, is completing his current term of three years in October 2026. The process for the appointment of the Chairman, as per rules, could have been initiated by the Selection Committee in April 2026. Gill, supported by some others, put pressure on the concerned officers to initiate the process for the appointment of the Chairman much in advance, sources added. Applications for the appointment of the Chairman were invited in September 2025. A meeting of the selection committee is scheduled to be held on February 3 for the appointment of Gill as Chairman of the MSPCB to be issued any time soon without waiting for the completion of the term of the current chief in October 2026.
Gill was the architect of an alleged scam involving illegal felling of more than 45,000 valuable teak and sal trees in the Dhima and Chimabangsi Reserved Forests in Garo Hill in the mid-nineties while he was posted as Divisional Forest Officer, Garo Hills Territorial Division. Two separate enquiry commissions, one headed by Rangan Dutta, then Principal Secretary to the Forest and Environment Department in the Government of Meghalaya and another headed by Justice (Retd.) T.C. Das, former Judge of the Guwahati High Court, held Gill responsible for the felling of these trees. As per the reports of these Commissions, Gill directed Hajong, a Forester posted under him at Dainadubi to come to Tura and stay at his official residence for issue of Transit Passes (TPs) to contractors, mainly non-tribals from Assam and West Bengal, for transport of illegally felled teak and sal timber to several destinations in Assam, West Bengal and other states, even when there was a complete ban on transport of teak and sal timber outside the Meghalaya. The issue of TPs allowing transport of timber outside Meghalaya in violation of the existing law resulted in massive demand for teak and sal timber in Garo Hills and consequent illegal felling of more than 45,000 valuable teak and sal trees in Chaimabangshi and Dhima Reserved Forests.
On receipt of a report from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Assam, on the issue of illegal TPs, the Government of Meghalaya constituted a Commission headed by Dutta, the then Principal Secretary to the Forest and Environment Department. The Rangan Dutta Commission held Gill guilty of several lapses, including the issue of illegal TPs from his official residence. Gill was placed under suspension in 1996, and disciplinary proceedings were instituted against him and several other officers. The state government constituted a commission consisting of Justice (Retd.) T.C. Das, former Judge of the Guwahati High Court, to enquire into the specific charges framed against Gill and other officials. The Justice (Retd.), T. C. Das Commission, in its report, held Gill guilty on several counts, including directing Hajong, a Forester posted under him at Dainadubi, to come to Tura and stay at his official residence for the issue of TPs for the transport of teak and sal timber outside the state. Taking note of the evidence of his direct role in the felling of more than 45,000 valuable teak and sal trees, the state government concluded disciplinary proceedings against Gill in 2009 by imposing a penalty on him. During the pendency of the disciplinary proceedings for more than a decade, Gill held insignificant posts.
On conclusion of disciplinary proceedings, Gill proceeded on deputation to the Forest Survey of India at Dehradun. While posted at the Forest Survey of India, Gill in 2011 filed a petition before the Supreme Court through the Central Empowered Committee. In the petition, Gill levelled allegations against the Meghalaya government, the Forest Survey of India and senior officers posted under them. The petition, being devoid of merit, was dismissed. Though the act of Gill violated the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1969, no action was initiated against him by the state government and the Forest Survey of India.
Sources said that emboldened by the gracious act of the state government and the Forest Survey of India to ignore violation of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, Gill sent an email to the then Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Barkos Warjri. The email contained defamatory remarks even against the then Chief Secretary.
An FIR was registered against Gill under various sections, including those of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. During the course of the investigation, a team of police officers went to Dehradun and seized the hard disc of the office computer of Gill. While the Meghalaya Police was finalising a foolproof case, Gill realised the seriousness of his crime and rushed to Shillong to offer his apology to Barkos Warjri, who agreed to pardon him. Having accepted his apologies, the criminal case against Gill was not further pursued.
Sources added that the reasons for the government going out of its way to unduly favour Gill, ignoring his dubious past service records, including his audacity to mock the tribal lineage of a serving chief secretary, are difficult to guess.
A message was sent to Gill to get his response but in vain.
