Big reshuffle of IFS officers
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 19 Jul: As was being speculated, the Forest Department today ordered a major reshuffle of senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) Cadre officers. The transfers were being awaited for some time. Sources claimed that the transfer list had been prepared some time ago, but the orders had not been issued. They further claimed that some minor changes have been made in the initially prepared transfer list before the orders were issued today. Those transferred today included IFS officers from the top level PCCF rank till the level of DFOs. This apart, questions are also being raised regarding the inability of the forest department to give postings to 41 Assistant Conservators who had joined the department around 3 months ago after completing their training.
Those transferred today included top officers of the rank of PCCF downwards till the rank of DFO. Those transferred include Principal Chief Conservator (PCCF) and Chief Project Director of Uttarakhand Forest Resources Project Vijay Kumar, who has now been appointed as Chairman of Biodiversity Board. He is amongst the seniormost officers in the department.
Principal Chief Forest Conservator (PCCF) BP Gupta has been given the additional responsibility as Principal Chief Forest Conservator Forest (PCCF) Forest Panchayats and PCCF Administration.
PCCF GS Pandey who is currently CEO CAMPA project has been transferred as Managing Director, Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC). He has been replaced by APCCF Ranjan Kumar Mishra as CEO CAMPA Project. Mishra is currently posted as APCCF Forest Conservation.
Chief Conservator of Forests Manoj Chandran, currently posted as Director, Namami Gange Project, has been transferred as Chief Executive Officer, Bamboo and Fiber Development Council.
Chief Conservator of Forest PK Patro, who was earlier posted as CCF Kumaon in Nainital, has been transferred as Chief Project Director, Uttarakhand Forest Resources Project (JICA) which is a Japan aided project.
Chief Conservator of Dheeraj Pandey, currently posted as Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR), has been transferred as Chief Forest Conservator, Kumaon, and has been replaced by Conservator of Forests, Saket Badola as Director of CTR. Badola was earlier posted as Director of Rajaji National Park, Conservator of Forests and Additional Director at Academy of Forestry Training, Haldwani.
Conservator of Forests Nitish Mani Tripathi has been transferred as Member Secretary, Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board. He is currently posted as Additional Director, Academy of Forest Training.
Mayank Shekhar Jha has been transferred as Regional Manager, Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation.
DFO Kalyani has been given responsibility as DFO Rudraprayag and Deputy Forest Conservator Kedarnath Forest Division. She is currently posted as Deputy Director, Nanda Devi Biosphere.
DFO Kundan Kumar has been given charge as Deputy Forest Conservator, Haldwani Forest Department and Research, Haldwani.
DFO Abhimanyu Singh has been given the responsibility as Deputy Forest Conservator, Chakrata Forest Department.
In addition to the much-awaited transfers, the forest department is also in the news over its inability to post 41 Assistant Conservators of Forests (ACFs), who have joined the state forest department three months ago after completing their training. The forest officers admit that there has been an undue delay in posting of the ACFs but they added that the delay is because of issues regarding seniority. Currently, most of them have been assigned various responsibilities while being attached to the headquarters.
The dispute related to seniority has arisen as these are directly recruited officers while there are others who have been promoted as ACFs. The seniority list has not been sorted out, so far.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal admitted the dispute over fixing the seniority of the promoted and directly recruited officers and added that, soon, the order related to deployment of ACFs will be issued and all these new officers will be posted on a regular basis. Uniyal added that at present these officers are being given various responsibilities while remaining attached with the forest headquarters.
