Uttarakhand: Government removes IFS Sushant Patnaik from Pollution Control Board, alleges misbehavior with employee

On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the government removed IFS Sushant Patnaik from the post of Member Secretary of Pollution Control Board and attached him to the Half Office at Forest Headquarters. Patnaik is accused of indecency with a female employee of the department. Principal Secretary Forest RK Sudhanshu has taken action on the woman’s complaint and has ordered an investigation into the matter.

Principal Secretary Forest said, the complaint related to the woman is serious. Action has been taken as soon as a written complaint was received against the Forest Department official. In December 2022, the government removed IFS SP Subudhi from the post of Secretary of Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board and made Chief Forest Conservator Garhwal Sushant Patnaik the Member Secretary of the Board.

My father passed away recently, I went to Orissa on this, came back the day before yesterday and took charge of the department, everyone was giving condolences on this. I myself am shocked by the allegation of indecency with a female employee.

–Sushant Patnaik IFS