Foreign exposure tour sanctioned months before project shutdown; employees removed without notice
Munish Sood
Dharamshala: A major controversy has erupted in Himachal Pradesh after it came to light that 162 field employees working under the German Development Bank (KfW)-funded Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystem Climate Proofing Project have been sitting unemployed since August, even as preparations are underway to send a 15-member delegation of bureaucrats and MLAs to Germany in December for what is being officially described as a training and exposure visit.
The project, which officially concludes in March 2026, has already phased out ground-level staff without providing any alternate placement or extension—raising serious concerns about administrative priorities and the ethical justification of a foreign tour so close to completion.
Foreign Trip Draws Sharp Reaction
Senior governance observers have pointed out that exposure visits typically occur at the initial phase of a project, enabling teams to adopt technical models before implementation. Sending a high-level delegation at the end of the project, they argue, serves no operational purpose.
A well-known public policy expert remarked:
“When a project is effectively wrapping up, there is no practical logic behind an international exposure visit. At this stage it appears more like a discretionary foreign tour than a professional necessity.”
Delegation Members
Those approved for the Germany visit include:
• MLAs: Sudarshan Singh Bablu, Ajay Solanki, Vivek Sharma
• Senior officers: ACS KK Pant, PCCF (HoFF) Sanjay Sood, CPD Upasana Patial, APD Kamal Bharti, APD DS Dhadhwal
• District Forest Officers and officials: Tanvi Gupta, Krityagna Kumar, MN Shivaji, Rajneesh, Sunny Verma, Mahajan, Sushil Guleria, Sanjeev Kumar
Meanwhile, the ground-level employees responsible for operational implementation were relieved of services in August—just 18 months before the project’s formal closure.
Public Anger Over Contrast Between Claims and Actions
The decision has intensified criticism of the Sukhu government, already facing scrutiny over repeated references to a severe financial crisis.
A senior administrative analyst noted:
“The contradiction is striking. The government publicly speaks of financial distress, pending bills and burden liabilities, yet foreign travel budgets remain untouched. This raises serious questions about governance optics and spending priorities.”
Public resentment is reported to be growing in multiple districts, particularly among families of workers removed after serving in community-based operations for more than 15 years.
Officials Defend Move; Project Director Unavailable
PCCF (HoFF) Sanjay Sood confirmed the upcoming tour, describing it as a professional learning exercise, but did not clarify how the visit would benefit a project nearing completion.
Key Questions Raised
1. What purpose does a foreign exposure visit serve when the project is in its final months?
2. Why were field staff terminated without transition planning while funds support international travel?
3. If the state is in financial distress, how is this expenditure justified.
The episode has become emblematic of growing concerns around administrative priorities versus public accountability. With livelihoods disrupted and budgets questioned, the government may soon face demands for transparency over project expenditure and an independent review of the Germany tour decision.
As the project approaches its formal closure in March 2026, the contrast between unemployment for workers and international trips for senior officials risks becoming a defining issue in public discourse.
