Express News Service
DEHRADUN: In Uttarakhand, now is the season of forest fires. However, in the forest department, the battle of egos has gained priority over battling the fire.
The fight for the post of department chief, which was embroiled in a court battle, has come to an end on Wednesday.
The High Court ordered the removal of Vinod Singhal from the post of head of forest force (HoFF) 15 days ago. However, he is back as HoFF armed with a Supreme Court order.
Rajiv Bhartari, who replaced him, has been sent back to the post of chairman of the Biodiversity Board.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, state Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said, “It was a better and amicable solution under which this path was chosen with coordination of the court order and the executive”. Whereas both Vinod Singhal and Rajiv Bhartri refused to speak anything on the current ‘tug of war.’
Interestingly, both the senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) 1986 batch Rajiv Bhartari and 1987 batch Vinod Singhal are due to retire by the end of this month.
On the order of the High Court, Rajiv Bhartari took charge as state forest chief on April 4, replacing Vinod Singhal, despite Mahavir Jayanti being a gazetted holiday. Upset with the High Court order, Vinod Singhal approached the Supreme Court and got a big relief on Monday against the High Court’s decision. The apex court has ordered to restore the status quo.
Amid speculation over who will retire as HoFF, with a total of 11 days left and only eight working days left, the government finally succeeded in pacifying the two ‘big foresters’, and an amicable solution was reached that both IFS officers would get the benefit of the PCCF post.
On Monday, Rajiv Bhartari disposed of his normal functioning as chief conservator of forests (HOF). After the Supreme Court ruled in Singhal’s favour, it was believed that Vinod Kumar Singhal would take over the chair again on Tuesday after getting instructions from the government, but this did not happen and on Wednesday, the government duly completed the proceedings of giving charge to Singhal.
It may be recalled that the State government had reshuffled the heads of the two departments on November 25, 2021. Rajiv Bhartari was transferred from the post of Principal Conservator of Forests to the post of Chairman of Biodiversity Board. In his place, Vinod Kumar Singhal was appointed principal conservator of forests. Since then, the fight between the two forest officials over the HOFF chair has continued.
DEHRADUN: In Uttarakhand, now is the season of forest fires. However, in the forest department, the battle of egos has gained priority over battling the fire.
The fight for the post of department chief, which was embroiled in a court battle, has come to an end on Wednesday.
The High Court ordered the removal of Vinod Singhal from the post of head of forest force (HoFF) 15 days ago. However, he is back as HoFF armed with a Supreme Court order.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Rajiv Bhartari, who replaced him, has been sent back to the post of chairman of the Biodiversity Board.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, state Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said, “It was a better and amicable solution under which this path was chosen with coordination of the court order and the executive”. Whereas both Vinod Singhal and Rajiv Bhartri refused to speak anything on the current ‘tug of war.’
Interestingly, both the senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) 1986 batch Rajiv Bhartari and 1987 batch Vinod Singhal are due to retire by the end of this month.
On the order of the High Court, Rajiv Bhartari took charge as state forest chief on April 4, replacing Vinod Singhal, despite Mahavir Jayanti being a gazetted holiday. Upset with the High Court order, Vinod Singhal approached the Supreme Court and got a big relief on Monday against the High Court’s decision. The apex court has ordered to restore the status quo.
Amid speculation over who will retire as HoFF, with a total of 11 days left and only eight working days left, the government finally succeeded in pacifying the two ‘big foresters’, and an amicable solution was reached that both IFS officers would get the benefit of the PCCF post.
On Monday, Rajiv Bhartari disposed of his normal functioning as chief conservator of forests (HOF). After the Supreme Court ruled in Singhal’s favour, it was believed that Vinod Kumar Singhal would take over the chair again on Tuesday after getting instructions from the government, but this did not happen and on Wednesday, the government duly completed the proceedings of giving charge to Singhal.
It may be recalled that the State government had reshuffled the heads of the two departments on November 25, 2021. Rajiv Bhartari was transferred from the post of Principal Conservator of Forests to the post of Chairman of Biodiversity Board. In his place, Vinod Kumar Singhal was appointed principal conservator of forests. Since then, the fight between the two forest officials over the HOFF chair has continued.