IFS officer donates tour allowance worth Rs 3 lakh to Uttarakhand CM Relief Fund

In a letter dated April 4, addressed to the Head of the Uttarakhand Forest Department (HoFF) and endorsed to the Chief Minister's office, Chaturvedi mentioned in detail about his 447 days of official tours from December 17, 2016, to August 2025, against which he had never drawn any allowances. He requested that the entire amount be deposited into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

In his letter, Chaturvedi cited the satisfaction drawn from serving Uttarakhand and conserving its precious flora and fauna as his biggest reward.

As per government rules, whenever a government officer undertakes an official tour outside his headquarters, he is entitled to a daily allowance (DA) as well as establishment charges amounting to several thousand rupees per day, depending on the location and seniority of the officer, to compensate out-of-pocket expenses incurred during tours away from the place of residence.

In his communication, Chaturvedi also detailed repeated visits and treks to the most inaccessible and difficult areas of the state, including Milam Glacier, Har ki Doon, Mana Pass, Devtaal, Nelong Valley, Barahoti Bugyal, Lapthal, Panchachuli Base Camp, Tapovan, Hemkund Sahib, Valley of Flowers, Jolingkong, Narayan Ashram, Niti Valley, and Lipulekh.

He also mentioned the establishment of 25 plant conservation centres across the state and efforts for the reintroduction of highly endangered Himalayan plant species, including Himalayan Gentian, Himalayan White Lily, Golden Himalayan Spike, Takil Palm, Indian Spikenard, Doon Cheesewood, and Himalayan Arnebia.

These conservation efforts were lauded by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, then Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, and the then Director General of Forests.

Chaturvedi also highlighted conservation work on threatened faunal species, including the Himalayan Marmot, Mountain Weasel, Flying Squirrel, King Cobra, and Finn's Weaver, and completion of high-quality working plans for 7 out of 28 forest divisions of the state.

Earlier in September 2015, Chaturvedi donated his entire Ramon Magsaysay Award money for the treatment of poor patients at AIIMS Delhi and, after their refusal, donated the entire award money to Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF) in December, 2015.In February 2019, he donated his entire arbitration fee of around Rs 2.50 lakh to the fund established by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the welfare of families of CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terror attack. In August 2019, he donated an amount awarded by the Uttarakhand High Court to him as costs imposed on the Central Government -- in a case where the High Court had termed the Central Government's attitude as "prima facie vindictive" against him -- to the PMNRF. In December, 2015, he also donated the entire award money of Rs 2.4 lakh, received in another anticorruption award, to a needy family.Notably, the Annual Immovable Property Return (IPR) of the officer shows NIL properties in his name and that of his family members. (ANI)