RAIPUR: An unprecedented shortage of senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers has left the Chhattisgarh State Forest Department's Aranya Bhawan headquarters facing administrative uncertainty and reported financial strain.
The department is currently operating with a staggering shortfall at the senior level. “Ironically, there is a serious crisis of IFS officers at the top level in the department while excess strength exists at the lower rank owing to mismanaged cadre allocations since the 90s”, a highly placed source revealed to TNIE.
Policy decisions, file clearances, and statewide forest monitoring seem to have been affected as some IFS officers leave parent cadre posts for deputations, leaving the department to rely on retired personnel paid daily wage honorariums, the source said.
Out of a total sanctioned strength of 195 IFS posts for Chhattisgarh, 153 officers are currently in service—leaving a deficit of 42 officers.
The situation is poised to deteriorate further this month with the simultaneous retirement of four senior IFS officers.
Their departure leaves a major leadership vacuum at two crucial state bodies—the Forest Development Corporation and the Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce (Trading & Development) Co-operative Federation
Usually, these Managing Director posts require officers at the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) rank with a minimum of 30 years of service. Following these retirements, OP Yadav (recently promoted as PCCF) remains the sole officer in the department meeting the 30-year criterion, leaving these bodies with temporary or charge-based leadership.
There are talks of a deputation drain in the forest department. Core forestry operations might face severe staffing deficits as some senior IFS officers are posted in other departments, corporations, or alternative state destinations.
It remains to be seen if any active measure will be initiated to recall the IFS officers back to their primary cadres to alleviate operational pressures at senior levels.
To circumvent contractual approval bottlenecks, the department has re-engaged retired officers on daily honorariums (daily wages), the sources added.
Since formal contract appointments require procedural sanctions, the daily wage mechanism allows the administration to bypass formal government approvals.
The state government acknowledged that officer shortages are presently underway at the highest level in the forest department.
