COIMBATORE: Alleging a lack of transparency in the recent transfer of officers, the TN Forest Staff Association has decided to move to the Madras High Court challenging the process. The high court, in March, directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Syed Muzammil Abbas to constitute a four-member panel, comprising additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF-Admin) and APCCF (wildlife), to transfer staff who have completed three years of service in a place.
Sources said three forest range officers who worked in Boluvampatti, Karamadai and Mettupalayam were transferred to Rameshwaram, Chennai and Tiruchy respectively. K Sivaprakasam, president of the forest staff association said, “The order says those working for over three years in a station will be transferred. However, the three officers have not completed three years yet. However, two officers who have been working in Coimbatore forest division for nearly 20 years are yet to be transferred.”
According to Sivaprakasham, transfers were effected across TN, but that of 65 staff transferred out of Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Chennai and Villupuram stoked the controversy. A transferred officer said they weren’t sure if the “station” meant forest range or division or circle.”
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Environmental Climate Change and Forests, said there was no violation of norms in the transfers. “Based on a court order, we are working out an online system for transferring forest department staff and this will take time since we are issuing smart cards and developing a database. Soon range officers in every district working for more than three years will be transferred. After that, ACF will be transferred. “So far we have not received any complaints regarding transfers and will examine grievances aired by the association,” she said.