📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Pradeepjaiswalsena
Politics
Madhya Pradesh Environment Department Turmoil: SIA President Demands Suspension of ACS and Member Secretary
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bhopal
🗓 17 Oct 2026, 08:31 AM
👁 18
SIA President Shivnarayan Singh Chauhan has called for the suspension of Additional Chief Secretary Aniruddh Mukherjee and Member Secretary Harshal Pancholi over alleged irregularities in the state’s environment department.
Shivnarayan Singh Chauhan, the president of the State Information Authority (SIA) in Madhya Pradesh, publicly demanded the suspension of Additional Chief Secretary Aniruddh Mukherjee and Member Secretary Harshal Pancholi. The demand was made during a press briefing in Bhopal, where Chauhan alleged procedural lapses and possible misconduct within the environment department.
The SIA, which monitors transparency and accountability in state agencies, said the two officials have been implicated in decisions that bypassed standard protocols. Chauhan urged the state government to act swiftly to restore public confidence and ensure the department’s functioning aligns with environmental regulations.
The Madhya Pradesh government has not yet issued an official response. Officials from the environment department declined to comment on the allegations, citing ongoing internal reviews. The issue is expected to be debated in the upcoming legislative session, where opposition parties have signaled they will raise the matter.
If the suspension is approved, it could lead to a reshuffle in the department’s senior leadership, potentially impacting ongoing projects related to pollution control and forest conservation across the state.
The SIA, which monitors transparency and accountability in state agencies, said the two officials have been implicated in decisions that bypassed standard protocols. Chauhan urged the state government to act swiftly to restore public confidence and ensure the department’s functioning aligns with environmental regulations.
The Madhya Pradesh government has not yet issued an official response. Officials from the environment department declined to comment on the allegations, citing ongoing internal reviews. The issue is expected to be debated in the upcoming legislative session, where opposition parties have signaled they will raise the matter.
If the suspension is approved, it could lead to a reshuffle in the department’s senior leadership, potentially impacting ongoing projects related to pollution control and forest conservation across the state.