Just 6 weeks to retire, IFS officer set to get top job in forest dept

Unable to finalise the new head of forest department for more than a month, the Haryana government has decided to appoint Jagdish Chander, a 1988-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, having a month-and-a-half to retire, as the principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force).

Chief minister Nayab Saini is learnt to have ordered Chander’s appointment as head of forest department, overriding the fact that his functioning would get hampered in view of the restrictions imposed by the chief secretary on officers having two months of service left.

In a note, additional chief secretary (ACS), environment, forests and wildlife, Anand Mohan Sharan wrote that Jagdish Chander had earlier worked as PCCF (head of forest force) from February 7, 2022, to February 7, 2024, and was replaced by Pankaj Goel on administrative grounds. “Less than two months are left for the retirement of this officer (Chander) and hence April 19, 2021 orders of the chief secretary would be applicable on the functioning of the said officer as head of the department. In view of the chief secretary’s directions, Jagdish Chander, as head of the department, would not be able to take decisions regarding processing of tenders or release of payments or transfers and promotions of officials of all categories and their disciplinary matters. The above-mentioned issues are in large numbers in the forest department and decisions on these matters would be unduly delayed,” the ACS wrote.

ACS recommends Saxena for temporary charge

The ACS, forests, further wrote that in view of these facts, he is of the opinion that the meeting of the special selection committee be reconvened to recommend a suitable officer to head the forest department.

The ACS in his noting said though the second senior most IFS officer is Vineet Garg, presently working as PCCF (Wildlife)-cum-chief wildlife warden, a file (number 3020 of August 5, 2024) is under submission to the competent authority regarding his alleged act of financial impropriety. As per the centralised file movement and tracking information system record, this file is pending in the vigilance branch of the chief secretary’s office.

The ACS thus recommended that IFS officer, Vivek Saxena, presently holding the charge of PCCF (budget & planning) may be given the temporary charge of PCCF (head of forest force) till the special selection committee headed by the chief secretary recommends the name for this post which is subsequently approved by the competent authority.

Environment, forests and wildlife minister, Rao Narbir Singh in his note on the file wrote that the facts of the case revealed that since Chander is going to superannuate on December 31, 2024, he cannot be shouldered with higher responsibilities. The minister wrote that though a file in vigilance branch is pending against Garg, the officer next in seniority to Chander, he could probably not be justifiably superseded unless and until some concrete evidence is found or proved against him. Therefore, Garg may be considered for posting as PCCF (HoFF), the minister wrote.

When contacted, Narbir Singh said that either Vineet Garg or Vivek Saxena could be appointed as head of the forest department. “It is correct that a matter of alleged financial impropriety is pending against Garg in the vigilance branch. The chief minister will take a call on the appointment,” the forest minister said.

As per the Central government guidelines for selection to the post of principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force) in apex scale of Indian Forest Service, outstanding merit, competence, absolute integrity and having specific suitability for the post have been defined as parameters of selection.

Work hit

Forest department officials said that work in the department came to a standstill and administrative issues remain unresolved since there is no head of the department since October 1. “The special selection committee meeting was postponed by the then chief secretary in September due to imposition of the model code of conduct. However, it was decided by a committee headed by the CS that the senior-most IFS officer may be directed to look after the day-to-day work of urgent nature and take financial decisions with prior approval of the government,” an official said.

Forest officials aware of the developments said that the government’s move to appoint Chander as the head of department for six weeks was only to buy time to get the matter of alleged financial impropriety against Garg, pending with the vigilance branch, sorted out.