Now 2 more foresters want suspension to be revoked

NAGPUR: Taking a cue from revocation of suspension of range forest officer (RFO) Sachin Shinde from Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (

NNTR

), two more suspended forest employees have demanded they be reinstated.

Shinde, round officer Charanlal Balpande and forest guard Ashwini Munde were suspended by park’s deputy director Poonam Pate on July 16 for their involvement in irregularities worth Rs29 lakh.

Pate took action as per section 4 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1979. However, Shinde lodged a complaint with the PCCF (head of forest force) N Rambabu on July 23 and Maharashtra Forest Rangers’ Association (MFRA) also represented his case arguing that the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline & Appeal) rules doesn’t notify powers to the deputy director to suspend him.

Supporting Shinde’s view, PCCF Rambabu

revoked

the suspension and put the ball in the court of NNTR’s conservator of forest and field director who is the competent authority to take action. “As per the rules, a deputy conservator (DyCF) or divisional forest officer (DFO) and deputy director social forestry is competent to take action,” said Rambabu.

However, the post of deputy director in wildlife is exercising all financial and administrative powers since long in the same way as deputy conservators with territorial wing and deputy directors with social forestry.

“Therefore, if RFO Shinde’s suspension revocation is considered as legal then all decisions and financial and administrative orders, including tender orders of all deputy directors of wildlife wing will have to be revoked,” said wildlife wing officials.

“Taking the same stand, the Maharashtra Forest Guards-Foresters Union, Nagpur, has written to NNTR field director M Ramanujam demanding to revoke suspension order of forester Balpande and forest guard Munde issued by deputy director Poonam Pate on July 16,” said Indrajeet Baraskar, state general secretary of the union.

NNTR field director M Ramanujam was not available for comments. However, wildlife wing officials said powers of deputy director (wildlife) should be included in the Maharashtra Civil Services rules.