Revenue officer suspended after sealed sawmill found operational

Bijnor: A revenue officer (lekhpal) was suspended after a sealed illegal sawmill was found operational in Bijnor, officials said on Wednesday."The action was taken against lekhpal Rajat Chaudhary for negligence and failing to report the violation to senior officials," district magistrate Jasjit Kaur said, adding that a departmental inquiry has been initiated under the tehsildar, Bijnor. Show-cause notices have been issued to the kanoongo and naib tehsildar concerned.The district administration has also directed police to register an FIR against Javed Ahmad, Iftakhar Husain, Maksood Ahmad, Imran Ahmad, and Waqar Ahmad, all businessmen, for their alleged involvement in illegal activity.Dilawar and Sons sawmill, located at Jani Chauraha, had been sealed on Nov 15 last year by a joint team of the revenue and forest departments in the presence of police. Authorities on Monday found that the seal had been tampered with, and the unit was illegally made operational without approval from the competent authority.