NEW DELHI: A group of former bureaucrats and environmentalists has sent a letter to the Assam Government and Chief Election Officer opposing the deployment of over 1,600 forest personnel for election duty in Assam. They argue that this decision contravenes a clear directive from the Supreme Court and established administrative rules of Election Commission of India(ECI).
The letter criticizes a March 19, 2026 order issued by MK Yadava, the Special Chief Secretary of Assam’s Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change directing the commandants of the Jakhalbandha and Basistha forest administrative units to deploy approximately 1,600 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duty scheduled for April 9, 2026. These officials were instructed to mobilize and report to the Additional Director General of Police by April 3, 2026.
The retired IAS and IFS officers, along with conservationists, expressed grave concern over this order, stating that utilizing the AFPF in this manner violates the legal and administrative norms set forth by the ECI and the Supreme Court. They said the reference Annexure B of the ECI guidelines, which stipulates that territorial forest forces and serving forest officials, including senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, should not be requisitioned for election-related duties.
Supreme Court order dated May 15, 2024, explicitly exempted forest officials and departmental vehicles from election duties, recognizing their specialized and essential responsibilities.
The letter, signed by Prakriti Srivastava, IFS (Retd.), former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) in Kerala, on behalf of five other retired officers and a conservationist, expresses concerns about the increasing incidents of poaching that endanger India’s iconic species, particularly the Indian Rhinoceros, which is primarily found in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. The park requires constant vigilance, as do other endangered species in Assam, such as the hoolock gibbon (India's only ape species), the golden langur, and the pygmy hog, as well as important wildlife like elephants and tigers. If forest personnel are diverted for election duties, these species will be left unprotected and vulnerable to poaching.
“Diverting such a large number of AFPF personnel for election duty will inevitably weaken on-ground protection mechanisms and increase vulnerability to organized wildlife crime," the letter stated.
The letter further emphasizes that this order undermines forest and wildlife protection, especially during a time of increasing ecological vulnerability, and exposes the State Government to potential judicial scrutiny for failing to comply with binding directives.
The petitioners have demanded immediate action to withdraw the order and ensure strict adherence to ECI guidelines and the Supreme Court's directions in all future actions.