Jaipur: In a significant development, the Rajasthan government has put the transfer and posting of 13 Deputy Conservators of Forests (DCFs) of the Rajasthan Forest Service (RFS) in abeyance, just days after issuing a transfer order for 39 officers.
The decision, announced through a revised order issued by the Forest Department, has created administrative uncertainty as several affected officers had already joined their new postings and assumed charge before the transfers were stayed.
Transfers Kept in Abeyance
The Forest Department had issued transfer orders for 39 Deputy Conservators of Forests (DFOs/DCFs) on July 10.
However, in a subsequent order issued by Deputy Secretary (Administration) Sheelavati Meena, the government directed that the transfers and postings of 13 officers would remain in abeyance until further orders.
The decision takes immediate effect.
Read Also: Uttarakhand Govt Cancels IFS Pankaj Kumar’s Transfer Order After High Court Contempt Notice
Review of IFS-RFS Postings Behind the Move
Officials said the revised order followed an internal review of the deployment of Rajasthan Forest Service (RFS)officers against posts that are ordinarily held by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers.
The issue was subsequently referred to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), after which the government decided to defer the transfers of the 13 officers.
According to senior officials, a fresh list of IFS postings is now under preparation to ensure that both IFS and RFS officers are accommodated appropriately and to avoid overlapping postings.
A senior officer said, “The list of IFS officers is pending, and a fresh list will be issued accommodating everyone so that no confusion arises.”
Administrative Confusion After Officers Assumed Charge
The revised order has triggered uncertainty within the department because several of the affected officers had already reported to their new stations and taken charge.
Some of them had even issued inter-circle administrative transfer orders after assuming office. The government is yet to clarify the status of those administrative decisions following the stay on their transfers.
The suspension of postings has particularly affected field-level administration in several forest divisions.
Four Udaipur Division Officers Among Those Affected
According to departmental sources, the decision has stalled several important field postings, particularly in the Udaipur Division.
Among the officers whose transfers have been kept in abeyance are:
- Devendra Tiwari (Udaipur North)
- Manphool Bishnoi
- Abhishek Sharma
- Rajiv Gupta
- Tarun Mehra
The move has also delayed postings in Udaipur, Chittorgarh, and Banswara, leaving multiple key field positions in uncertainty.
HoFF Directs IFS Officers Not to Hand Over Charge
In a separate office order, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Arijit Banerjee instructed IFS officers currently occupying the affected posts not to hand over charge to the transferred RFS officers without prior approval from the competent authority.
The order stated that the IFS officers would continue to hold charge of their respective posts until further instructions are issued.
Differences Reportedly Emerged Over Transfer List
Sources indicated that differences reportedly surfaced during the finalisation of the transfer list between the Forest and Environment Minister and the Head of Forest Force (HoFF).
Following the review, the matter was referred to the Chief Minister’s Office, leading to the government’s decision to defer the transfers of the 13 officers.
While the revised list of IFS postings was awaited till the filing of reports, officials indicated that a fresh posting order is expected to be issued to resolve the current administrative uncertainty.
