Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 24: The Government has failed to do cadre review of the State Service Officers for last 43 years while the cadre review of Indian Forest Services (IFS) is being done regularly after every six years affecting the promotion prospects of State officers.
The last cadre review of the State Service Officers was done in 1972 and so far it has never been reviewed. In 1972 there was only one department while today there are 12 separate departments in the Forest Department.
In absence of the cadre review 40 posts of IFS officers are vacant in the Forest Department. These 40 vacancies are to be filled from State cadre through promotions.
At present there are 106 IFS officers in the State out of which 50 percent induction and 50 percent is direct quota. However, there are only 13 officers in the induction quota while 40 are vacant.
The absence of cadre review has also led to blocking of promotion prospects of the State Forest Service officers. The Range Officers are not being promoted as Conservator of Forests and Conservator of Forests are not being promoted as Deputy Conservator of Forests and Deputy Conservator of Forests are not promoted as Senior grade Deputy Conservator of Forests.
The State Forest Service Officer accuse the Government of patronizing and grooming the Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers at the cost of their career, however, Government denies any discrimination and says that all is done as per rules and merit.
The Government has attached six forest service officers (Government order No: FST/Ser/Transfer/HG/2015 dated, 23-01-2015) leading to anger among the State Service Officers.
The agitated officers said that an IFS lobby in “nexus” with some bureaucrats and with the help of the Union Government was active to “dislodge” the state officers to “wipe” them out from important divisional posts in the department.
“The bureaucratic forces have over the time almost wiped the chance of any growth of State Forest Service Officers. A clandestine intrigue against the State Forest Officers is in process and their promotions and confirmations have intentionally been stalled to pave way for IFS officers,” Iqbal Munshi, President State Forest Service Officers Association told Excelsior.
The officers said the Government is intentionally not inducting State officers into IFS only to prevent the State officers from manning such posts.
He said that in the current order only two local IFS officers have been posted in the Valley.
Saying that the Government is itself violating its rules and regulations, he said that a number of On Job Trainee (OJT) officers of IFS who are not eligible yet have been posted in the department.
Secretary Forest Department Mohammad Afzal Bhat told Excelsior that any order which the department issues is as per rules and regulations.
“There is no discrimination against any employee while promoting or posting him. IFS officers after completing their three years training are posted in the field. Each promotion and posting is done as per merit,” Bhat said.
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