State abolishes 378 posts in Wildlife Wing

State abolishes 378 posts in Wildlife Wing
Prerna Bindra

March 4: The state government has abolished 378 posts in the Wildlife Wing under the state Department of Environment and Forests, kicking up a storm in the process. The posts, which have been abolished vide a Government Resolution (GR) dated Febraury 27 (GR No 2000/PN 841/F-11(K-2), had been created under the Maharashtra Forestery Project funded by the World Bank in 1991 to strengthen wildlife conservation and management in the state. However, with the Rs 431.51-crore project coming to a close, the posts now stand abolished.

Apart from this development, forest officers are also up in arms because the GR specifically states that the salaries of these 378 officers and others will be paid only if no extension of these posts is demanded beyond February 28. Remarks a range forest officer in Nagpur: ``It is a blackmailing tactic. We have been paid our salaries for January and Febraury. Now, I don't know from where my next month's salary will come. And I have not been given diesel to run the jeeps for patrolling... telephone bills too have not been paid.''

The GR has also deepened the conflict between officers posted in the field and ``policy-makers''. Explains A N Tripathi, deputy secretary, Forest Department: ``These posts were temporary, so they can be surrendered.'' Adds Kishore Rithe, member, State Wildlife Advisory Board: ``Half the posts (8,000 of the total 19,000 in the Forest Department), including that of the prinicipal chief conservator of forests, are temporary. Officers in the Wildlife Wing have been given specialised training in wildlife management. The project ended in April last year and the posts were extended till October 30. After that, there was a temporary extention every month. Protection work is at a standstill.'' He says the GR came as a surprise as it had been decided at a meeting on November 29, convened in Nagpur by the then state chief secretary, Arun Bongirwar, that the Wildlife Wing would remain in operation even though the Maharashtra Forestry Project had ended. The meeting had been attended by Principal Secretary, Forests, KNandlal, Finance Secretary Ravi Buddhiraja and senior forest offcicals.

Says Rithe: ``This decision was taken in the interest of the state's wildlife and also to avoid violating the Government of India's norms regarding management and execution of Protected Areas and centrally-funded projects like Project Tiger. It was also discussed at the meeting that if we do not continue at least some of these 378 posts in the Wildlife Wing, it could cause funding problems apart from inviting legal hassles.''

But forest officers say their plea to continue the posts have fallen on deaf ears. Tripithi, though, dismisses the importance of the Wildlife Wing, saying the ``GR has been made an issue because we are removing theposts of the 50 peons which the wildlife people have become used to.'' However, he admits that the GR will have serious implications.

Only 10 per cent of these posts (48) are of peons while the rest are conservators of forests (3), deputy conservators (5), dvisional forest officers (4), assistant conservaors of forests (26), range forest officers (30), foresters (30) and guards (63). The rest are technical posts like surveyors, engineers, etc.

Rithe insists that the consequences will be ``disasterous''. it will have a direct bearing on three forest circles -- Nagpur, Nashik and Borivali -- since their management is completly under the Wildlife Wing. These forest circles include important national parks and sanctuaries like the Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Tansa, Bhimshankar, Radhanagri and Penganga.

Strangely, Nandlal dismisses the GR as ``routine and having no meaning''. He told Newsline: ``We do not plan to abolish the posts though some will go as part of the restructuring of the Forest Department. About 100 posts might be retained. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests S K Balli refused to comment on the subject. ``I will not speak on the issue. Why should I tell you if the posts are to be continued or not,'' he told Newsline.

Remarks a senior forest officer: ``officers in the wildlife wing will be adjusted in territorial wings. But there are no vacant posts for conservators and conservation is the lowest priority in territorial wings.''