Raipur: A severe shortage of senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers has pushed the Chhattisgarh Forest Department into an administrative crisis, with policy decisions, file clearances and statewide monitoring reportedly suffering due to a growing leadership vacuum at the top level.
The shortage has become particularly acute at the department’s headquarters, Aranya Bhawan, where officials say the absence of experienced officers is affecting administrative efficiency and forcing the department to adopt temporary arrangements to keep essential work moving.
Senior-Level Vacancy Raises Concerns
According to sources within the department, the shortage is concentrated at senior ranks despite an excess of officers at the lower levels.
“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 1990s,” a senior official familiar with the matter said.
The imbalance has reportedly complicated decision-making, delayed administrative approvals and affected supervision of forestry activities across the state.
Department Running Short of 42 IFS Officers
The Chhattisgarh cadre currently has a sanctioned strength of 195 IFS officers, but only 153 officers are in service, leaving 42 posts vacant.
While the shortage exists across different levels, officials say the impact is most severe in senior positions where experienced officers are required for policymaking, project approvals and institutional leadership.
Four Senior Retirements to Worsen Situation
The staffing challenge is expected to intensify further with the retirement of four senior IFS officers this month.
Their retirement will create vacancies in leadership positions at two of the state’s most important forest institutions:
- Chhattisgarh State Forest Development Corporation
- Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce (Trading & Development) Co-operative Federation
These organisations play a vital role in forest management, commercial forestry and the procurement and marketing of minor forest produce across the state.
Leadership Vacuum at PCCF Level
According to officials, the posts of Managing Director in these organisations are generally held by officers of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) rank with at least 30 years of service.
Following the impending retirements, O.P. Yadav, who was recently promoted as PCCF, will reportedly be the only serving officer fulfilling the required service criteria.
As a result, the government may have to rely on temporary or additional charge arrangements until suitable officers become available.
Deputation to Other Organisations Adds to Crisis
Officials also attribute the shortage to the increasing number of senior IFS officers serving on deputation outside the Forest Department.
Several experienced officers are currently posted in other government departments, public sector corporations and different administrative assignments, reducing the availability of senior leadership within the parent department.
The continuing deputation of officers has reportedly affected policy formulation, file disposal and statewide monitoring of forestry programmes.
There is growing discussion within administrative circles about recalling some deputed officers to their parent cadre to ease the pressure on the Forest Department’s senior leadership.
Retired Officers Re-engaged
To keep administrative work functioning despite the shortage, the department has re-engaged several retired officers on daily honorarium (daily wage) arrangements.
Sources said this mechanism has been adopted because appointing retired officers on formal contracts requires multiple procedural approvals from the government.
By engaging them on a daily honorarium basis, the department has been able to avoid delays in securing contractual sanctions while ensuring that experienced personnel remain available for important administrative functions.
Government Acknowledges Shortage
The Chhattisgarh Government has acknowledged that the Forest Department is currently facing a shortage of officers at the senior-most levels.
Officials believe the situation will require long-term cadre management, timely promotions and better deployment of senior officers to ensure that key administrative and field responsibilities are not adversely affected.
With multiple retirements, continuing deputations and a limited pool of senior officers eligible for top positions, the Forest Department is expected to face significant administrative challenges unless corrective measures are taken in the coming months.
