Amidst a recent development, the Uttarakhand government has reinstated the two senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers into service, who were suspended on the charge of ‘negligence’ following the death of four forest department employees who tragically lost their lives while dousing a forest fire in Almora’s Binsar wildlife sanctuary in Uttarakhand in June. Apart from the four deceased forest employees, two other staffers who got injured in the same accident also succumbed to the wounds later.
A departmental inquiry later discovered that the unfortunate tragedy took place due to a “judgemental error.” Forest fire in Uttarakhand has become a recurring malady as over 1,300 forest fire incidents in one year have claimed the lives of 14 people.
A report prepared by the Head of Forest Forces concluded that the incident was completely accidental and was caused by a “judgement error,” following which, Mr. Koko Rose, last posted as the forest conservator in the Kumaon division, got reinstated into the service with the designation of Forest Conservator, North Kumaon Circle, Almora.
Mr. Dhruv Martolia, last posted as the Divisional Forest Officer in Almora who was suspended following the tragedy, was also reinstated into the service and has been made the DFO in the Bageshwar district. The condition for his reinstatement is the same, that the deaths of the forest staffers happened due to judgment error and he has been warned for the future.
Certain sources opine that the reinstatement occurred after several senior IFS members were displeased over the government’s order to suspend them.
