BENGALURU: The sudden transfer of range forest officer (RFO) Ganesh R, from Bannerghatta National Park, has come as a shock to conservationists and forest officials alike.
He is one of the 108 forest officials who were transferred by CM H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday night.
Ganesh was serving as RFO (equivalent to a circle inspector) in Bannerghatta range of Bannerghatta National Park.
He was posted to the wildlife division a year and five months ago. Conservationists and officials point out that his transfer was uncalled for and driven by political reasons.
He has been transferred to the Karnataka Rubber Board in Mangaluru. However, Ganesh sees this as a challenge, and claims to be preparing himself to deal with the rubber mafia now.
Speaking to the The New Indian Express, department sources said, “Ganesh was seen as a threat to those in Anekal and Bannerghatta ranges.
With court orders and by following the rules, he stopped operations of eight quarries. He was also involved in stopping trucks illegally transporting sand and water from forest areas.”
Ganesh was also incharge of the Anekal division, after his colleague was abruptly transferred in March. The two ranges, spread across 13,000 acres and 6,000 acres each, fall under the constituency of MLA D K Suresh, brother of Congress leader and Water Resources minister D K Shivakumar.
“Ganesh was working on retrieving forest land encroached upon by Hakki Pikki tribals, who support D K Suresh. He hadn’t even completed two years in the post, which is mandatory as per forest rules. Such transfers only deter the spirit and confidence of staff. Assistant Conservator of Forests Ravindra was transferred when he halted Metro work that was encroaching upon forest land near Roerich Estate. RFO Hanumanthappa was also transferred when he started unearthing encroachments in Turahalli and surrounding forest patches,” a senior forest official told The New Indian Express.
Ganesh (46) has worked in Dandeli, Uttara Kannada, Dharwad, Ballari, Bengaluru circle, Environmental Management Policy and Research Institute (Empri) and at the Forest Department headquarters. Conservationists have now started a campaign to pressure the CM to take back his decision and to encourage officers like Ganesh.
More IFS officers transferred on Wednesday
After transferring 108 range forest officers on Tuesday, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday signed the transfer orders of more IFS officers with immediate effect.
He transferred Vijay Gogo, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Principal Secretary Forest Ecology and Environment to Rural Development and Panchayat Raj.
CCF Venkatesh will take charge as Managing Director of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited. Awtar Singh, APCCF, Land Acquisition and Forest Cell, Water Resources Department, will take charge as APCCF in Forest Resources Management.
Saswati Mishra will take charge as CCF Projects and Vanashree Vipin Singh has been posted as CCF and executive director of Bannerghatta Biological Park.
Venkatesh S, has been posted as CCF Development, Bengaluru. O Palaiah has been posted as CCF of Dharwad circle.