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| HOD level reshuffle in Forest likely next month | | With no officers available, ROs, ACFs appointed as ‘incharge DFOs’ | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 23: Facing acute shortage of Forestry trained and senior officials, National Conference-led coalition government has continued the policy of previous regimes and appointed a number of junior Range Officers and ACFs as “incharge DFOs” in a number of Territorial Forest and related departments in its first administrative reshuffle yesterday. ‘Stop Gap Arrangement’ has been adopted in gross violation of the guidelines and instructions specially issued by Supreme Court of India few years back.
With the exception of regular recruits (IFS) and 5 SFS officers, all those appointed as “incharge DFOs” are junior officials, either holding the rank of ROs, ACFs or “incharge” ROs and “incharge ACFs”. Even after the reshuffle, a large number of important positions have been left vacant and over a dozen of officials, including these “incharge DFOs”, are continuously holding the charge of two or three divisions.
Sources said that most of the junior SFS officers have been appointed as incharge DFOs for the compulsion that there were few senior officers available in entire Forest and Forest related Departments. These sources revealed that even after today’s reshuffle, which happens to be the first in the NC-led coalition government, a large number of sensitive posts were continuously lying vacant and numerous junior officials had been simultaneously holding charge of two or three of such positions.
In the wake of a deep-rooted vested interest among politicians and bureaucrats, Jammu & Kashmir has over the years earned the dubious distinction of being the one-odd state where no recruitment of trained Forest officers has taken in the last 25 years. Consequently, back-door appointees and favourites of politicians and bureaucrats have been finding it easy to take admission into the coveted state forest service and to retain sensitive positions of DFOs.
Ironically, nearly 700 Forestry graduates and post-graduates have been running from pillar to post in search of junior government jobs. According to informed sources, 50 of such ill-fated Forestry graduates have crossed the age of 37 years---which bars candidates to seek a job in the state government. Sources in the government admit that nearly 600 posts of ROs, ACFs (in Forest, Wildlife, Social Forestry and different projects) besides all 60 posts of Assistant Directors in Forest Protection Force (FPF) and nearly 50 posts of Divisional and Deputy Managers in J&K State Forest Corporation had been lying vacant since December 1996.
Forest Minister Mial Altaf Ahmed has reportedly decided to eliminate the previous government’s adhocist policy of appointing “Rehbar-e-Janglaat” on the pattern of Rehbar-e-Ziraat and Rehbar-e-Taleem which has already ruined the future of hundreds of agriculture graduates in J&K. Immediately after taking over in January this year, Mian Altaf had directed bureaucracy and senior officials in Forest and related departments to identify all the vacancies, eliminate the menace of Stop Gap Arrangement under Supreme Court’s directions and start fresh time-bound process of recruiting skilled and trained officials through SSRB and State Public Service Commission.
However, the Minister’s subordinates have not started even the preliminary process that did not stand barred by enforcement of Model Code of Conduct.
Highly placed sources today indicated that this recruitment process was expected to start within the next 10 days. They revealed that a major reshuffle, involving the posts of Heads of Departments (HODs) in Forest and Forest-related departments could also happen in the next two or three weeks. Sources said that PCCF Mr Irshad Khan had been holding the additional charge of Project Chief of IWDP since last two years, Chief Wildlife Warden A K Srivastava had been recently sent on Central deputation and Chairman of J&K State Pollution Control Board, C M Seth, had lately reached superannuation. Besides, a number of senior officers had completed their tenure of two to three years.
In yesterday’s middle-rung reshuffle, Government has ordered transfer and appointment of 28 Forest officials.
According to Government Order No: 242-FST of 2009, issued late last evening, DFO Seed Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal (IFS) has been transferred and appointed as DFO Jammu Division in place of Sameul Changkija who will report to CCF Jammu and temporarily hold the charge of DFO Social Forestry Jammu. This is likely to be the Shahid Iqbal’s last posting in Forest Department as the 2005-Batch IFS officer has been recently selected for Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He will be joining his training course in IAS later this year.
DFO Udhampur, A K Gupta (IFS) has been directed to report to CCF Jammu till his formal posting. Agrostologist Jammu, Naveen K Sah (IFS) has been transferred and appointed as DFO Udhampur.
DFO Social Forestry, Kathua, Praveen Raghav (IFS) has been transferred and appointed as DFO Bhaderwah in place of Gulzar Hussain Rangrez, who has been shifted and appointed as DFO Social Forestry Anantnag against a vacancy.
DFO Resources Survey, Anand Kumar (IFS) has been transferred and appointed as DFO Marwah in place of Shuja Ali Hyderi. DFO Eco Task Force Jammu, V S Senthil Kumar (IFS) has been transferred and appointed as DFO Reasi in place of J K Kohli, who has been appointed as Agrostologist Jammu in place of Naveen Kumar Sah (IFS). Incharge ACF Reasi, V K Magotra, has been transferred and appointed as incharge DFO Mahore vice Qamar-ud-din who has been transferred and appointed as incharge DFO Doda against a clear vacancy.
Awaiting orders of his posting, M K Kumar (IFS) has been appointed as DFO Social Forestry Kathua vice Praveen Raghav (IFS).
Incharge Project Officer National Highway 1A Batote, S K Raina, has been transferred and appointed as DFO Batote against a clear vacancy. Mr Raina will also hold additional charge of his existing posting till further orders.
Incharge Project Officer Thein Dam, Kamal Kishore, has been transferred and appointed as incharge DFO Billawar against a clear vacancy.
In Kashmir valley, incharge Deputy Director Forest Protection Force, Lidder, Wali Mohammad Ganai, has been transferred and appointed as DFO Pir Panjal Division Budgam. Abdul Hamid Bhat ACF and incharge DFO Urban Forestry Division Srinagar, who had been also holding additional charge of DFO PP Division since the attachment of Javed Andrabi in March this year, has been transferred and appointed as DFO Bandipore in place of Ali Mohammad Dar. Dar has been appointed as DFO Social Forestry Pulwama vice Mir Mushtaq Hussain.
Incharge DFO Social Forestry Division, Mir Mushtaq Hussain, has been transferred and appointed as incharge DFO Sindh Forest Division Ganderbal in place of Syed Altaf-ur-Rehman Gilani. Mr Gilani has been appointed as DFO Langet against a clear vacancy.
Shuja A Hyderi has been appointed as DFO Jhelum Valley Division Baramulla, relieving Deputy Director Forest Protection Force Baramulla of his additional charge.
DFO Soil Conversation Division Pohru, Abdul Rashid Hazari, has been removed and appointed as a DFO in Environmental Engineering & Remote Sensing. Sources said that Minister of Forest is likely to order an inquiry into the largesclae bunglings, allegedly done during Mr Hazari’s tenure.
DFO Kehmil Forest Division, Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, has been transferred and appointed as DFO SC Division in Pohru, Handwara. Javed Hussain Andrabi, attached with the office of PCCF following his involvement in smuggling of timber from “A” zone of PP Division to “C” Zone in Budgam and Srinagar periphery, has been now detached and appointed as DFO Kehmil.
Range Officer in Forest Division Shopian, Abid Nazir, has been transferred and appointed as incharge ACF in Urban Forestry Division Srinagar. He will be holding the prize posting of DFO as none of the senior officials has been appointed to head the division.
Incharge DFO Anantnag, G A Hajam, has been transferred and appointed as incharge DFO, Demarcation Division, Srinagar against an available vacancy. Incharge DFO EE&RS, Javed Hussain, has been transferred and appointed as incharge DFO Anantnag.
Incharge Staff Officer, Forest Protection Force, Bashir Ahmed Wani, has been shifted and appointed as DD FPF Lidder in place of Wali Mohammad Ganai.
Project Officer, Sub Watershed Ramnagar, in IWDP Hills-2, Showkat Hussain (DCF) has been sent on deputation to J&K State Forest Corporation.
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