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New Delhi: On July 3, the Union environment ministry terminated from duty four close aides to environment minister Bhupender Yadav. The unusual move has raised eyebrows, with Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh saying on Thursday (July 9) that these dismissals are a “gigantic scandal” and should be seen in the light of recent happenings such as the ministry trying to redraw the boundaries of Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to enable mining, and the controversy that followed a few months later regarding a change in the definition of the Aravallis.

Who are the terminated staff?

On July 3, the ministry relieved Amar Singh, who served as the private secretary to the Union environment minister, of his duties. He was repatriated to his parent cadre (the Department of Revenue) “on administrative ground”.

Amar Singh is a 2010-batch Indian Revenue Service officer who took charge in June 2024. An official document on June 25, 2024, accessed by The Wire suggests that Amar Singh was appointed to the post only till July 7 this year or “until further orders”.

In another office order on July 3, the ministry “prematurely repatriated” Shailesh Kumar Singh, Central Secretariat Service (CSS), additional private secretary to the minister, to his parent Cadre – the Department of Personnel and Training. He was relieved of his duties “with immediate effect” and with the provision of “extended cooling off”. Shailesh Kumar Singh had been working with the Minister since November 2024.

The environment ministry also terminated the services of Ayush Saran, Additional Private Secretary to the Minister, and Siddharth Yadav, who served as the Minister’s Assistant Private........

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