Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has carried out a major reshuffle in the Forest Department, transferring and posting 69 Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers in a late-night order issued by the Department of Personnel on Monday.
The reshuffle also provides postings to 22 officers who were promoted from the Rajasthan Forest Service (RFS) to the IFS, nearly seven months after their promotion. In addition, 14 IFS officers have been assigned additional charges alongside their existing responsibilities.
The large-scale administrative exercise has brought changes across forest administration, wildlife, ecotourism, technology, e-governance, biodiversity, tiger reserves and other specialised areas.
Arijit Banerjee Appointed PCCF-HoFF
One of the major changes is the redesignation and appointment of Arijit Banerjee, who was heading the Forest Department, as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (PCCF-HoFF).
The designation of the head of the Forest Department has also been changed in line with the nomenclature adopted by several other states.
Shailja Deval Named Environment Secretary
Shailja Deval has been appointed Secretary, Environment and Climate Change Department.
She will also serve as Member Secretary, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
Her appointment comes as the state administration continues to place greater emphasis on environmental governance, climate-related policy and regulatory functions.
Meanwhile, Vijay N, who was serving as Secretary of the Environment and Climate Change Department, has been transferred and posted as Chief Conservator of Forests (Establishment), Jaipur.
He has also been given additional charge as Chief Conservator of Forests (Coordination), Headquarters, Jaipur.
Anurag Bhardwaj Gets PCCF (IT) Charge
Anurag Bhardwaj, who was serving as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, has been posted as PCCF (IT), Rajasthan.
He has also been assigned two additional responsibilities – Chairman, Rajasthan Biodiversity Board, Jaipur, and Chief Project Director (EAP), Jaipur.
The appointment gives Bhardwaj a key role in the department’s technology and digital administration-related functions.
Anup K R Shifted to Wildlife and Ecotourism
Anup K R, who was serving in Jodhpur, has been transferred and posted as Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife and Ecotourism), Jaipur.
The posting comes amid the state’s increasing focus on wildlife conservation and promotion of ecotourism around protected areas and forest landscapes.
Key Tiger Reserve Appointments
The reshuffle has also filled important positions in Rajasthan’s tiger reserves.
Suman Ram Jat has been appointed Director, Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR). He becomes the first director of the tiger reserve, nearly four years after Ramgarh Vishdhari was notified as Rajasthan’s fourth tiger reserve.
The appointment is significant as the reserve moves towards strengthening its dedicated administrative and wildlife-management structure.
Meanwhile, Dr T Mohan Raj has been appointed Director, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve. He will simultaneously hold the additional charge of Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Kota.
R N Meena has been appointed Divisional Chief Conservator of Forests, Kota.
Three IFS Officers Under APO Get Postings
The government has also issued postings to three IFS officers who were under Awaiting Posting Orders (APO).
Shashi Shankar has been appointed Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Jodhpur.
Gaurav Garg has been posted as Deputy Conservator of Forests, e-Governance, Headquarters, Jaipur.
Akshay Jain has been appointed Assistant Conservator of Forests in the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bharatpur.
22 RFS Officers Promoted to IFS Get Postings
A major component of the reshuffle is the posting of 22 officers who had been promoted from the Rajasthan Forest Service to the Indian Forest Service.
The officers had received their IFS promotion nearly seven months ago and have now been assigned their respective positions under the latest order.
The move is expected to strengthen field-level forest administration across Rajasthan by placing the newly inducted IFS officers in various divisions and specialised assignments.
14 IFS Officers Given Additional Charges
The government has also assigned additional responsibilities to 14 IFS officers.
Among the notable additional charges, Shikha Mehra, PCCF (Development), Jaipur, has been given charge as Managing Director, Rajasthan State Forest Development Corporation Ltd.
Uday Shankar has been assigned additional charge as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration and Training), Jaipur.
Rajesh Kumar Gupta has been given additional charge as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Coordination), Jaipur, as well as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Labour Laws, Jaipur.
T J Kavitha has been given additional charge as CEO, CAMPA, Jaipur.
Hanuman Ram has been assigned additional charge as Additional Project Director, Rajasthan Forestry and Biodiversity Project, Jaipur.
Sunil has been given additional charge as Chief Conservator of Forests, Udaipur, while Dr T Mohan Raj will additionally hold the post of Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Kota.
Ashutosh Ojha has been assigned additional charge as Chief Conservator of Forests, IT and e-Governance, Jaipur.
Ajay Chittora has been given additional charge as Chief Conservator of Forests, Jodhpur.
Ashok Kumar Mehariya will hold additional charge as Joint Project Director, Planning and Implementation, CRESEP, Jaipur.
Sudarshan Sharma has been given additional charge as Conservator of Forests, CAMPA, Jaipur, while Ashish Vyas will additionally serve as Deputy Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Zoo, Jaipur.
Village Relocation Gets Dedicated IFS Posting
The reshuffle has also made a significant change in the administration of village relocation linked to wildlife conservation.
Jagish Prasad Deya has been appointed DFO, Village Relocation, Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR).
The posting is aimed at strengthening the process of relocating villages from tiger reserve areas. According to officials, an IFS officer has now been assigned to the position, whereas such responsibilities were earlier often handled by Rajasthan Forest Service officers.
Six Trainee IFS Officers Posted
The government has also issued postings for six trainee IFS officers, who have been assigned to different forest divisions as Assistant Conservators of Forests.
Their deployment will provide additional field-level administrative strength to the Forest Department and enable the officers to gain practical experience in forest and wildlife management.
Reshuffle Covers Forest, Wildlife and Technology Wings
The latest exercise extends beyond routine transfers and postings. It has brought changes across several specialised areas, including wildlife management, tiger reserves, ecotourism, IT and e-governance, biodiversity, CAMPA, forest development, village relocation and environmental administration.
With 69 IFS officers transferred, 22 RFS-to-IFS promotees receiving postings and 14 officers being assigned additional responsibilities, the reshuffle represents one of the significant administrative changes in Rajasthan’s Forest Department in recent months.
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