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Nagpur: The state government has dealt a major blow to the 656 sq km Navegaon Nagjira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) spread across Gondia and Bhandara districts by downgrading the field director post to the level of Deputy Conservation Officer (DyCF).
Previously, the NNTR Field Director was a Conservator (CF), a senior officer at a grade above the selection grade. As per the rules, a forest officer will be promoted to Deputy Conservation Officer (DyCF) after serving for four years and after serving for 14 years he will be promoted to CF.
However, the state government appointed DyCF Jayarame Gowda R, an IFS officer who joined in 2013, as field director of NNTR while issuing promotion and periodic transfer orders to 41 IFS officers. Gowda’s subordinate Pawan Jeff, IFS officer of the year 2018, is also a DyCF. Both will have the same rank.
Except for NNTR, all tiger reserves in Maharashtra have senior officials in top posts. The field officer in Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) is a CCF rank officer, while in other tiger reserves such as Sahyadri, Pentibor and Tadoba Andari, CF rank officers are the field officers. The state also demoted the post of field director in Pench from CCF rank to CF level, reducing the importance of Pench.
Ravikiran Gobekar, CCF and Joint Secretary (Mantralaya), said, “Due to the acute shortage of senior cadre officers (such as Melghat and Pench) these days, senior level DyCF rank officers with extensive wildlife experience have been substituted. It is always better to have a This means leaving the post vacant. ”
Gobekar added: “There is a need to staff the tiger reserves with young but experienced police officers instead of those who are nearing retirement.” Mr. Gowda is senior enough to be in charge of the position of site supervisor. Some tiger reserves in other states are also headed by DyCF. We have in the past demoted FD posts to the nearest next grade depending on the availability of officers. ”
On the contrary, retired senior forest officials said the state is yet to issue any notification to downgrade these two posts in NNTR as per rules before issuing the transfer order. Many posts were not included in the list of senior officers notified in the last executive review in 2016.
In the transfer order issued on February 28, seven posts were downgraded or upgraded without mandatory notification. Furthermore, senior officials are being placed in non-cadre posts meant for the civil servants (MFS), which prevents them from being promoted on time.
Given this arrangement in the NNTR, it appears that the state is not interested in giving unified control of the 1,241 sq km NNTR buffer zone to field wardens who have been on the firing line for the past six years. The buffer zone of this park was notified in September 2016. On the contrary, FDCM conducts large-scale commercial logging in buffer zone areas, causing human-animal conflicts and damage to corridors.
Those working in the field call this the government’s indifference towards NNTR. In 2019, NNTR ranked 16th in Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE), ahead of Corbett and Tabova. “This was possible thanks to the senior and experienced staff leading the park,” officials said.
“Secondly, it is humiliating and embarrassing for junior officers to come face-to-face with personnel of the same batch in senior positions during meetings. “By doing so, we can take the initiative,” they said.
The Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP), as amended in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, requires notification of buffer zones around tiger reserves. The buffer zones of Melghat, Pench and Tadoba are already under unified management.
Previously, the NNTR Field Director was a Conservator (CF), a senior officer at a grade above the selection grade. As per the rules, a forest officer will be promoted to Deputy Conservation Officer (DyCF) after serving for four years and after serving for 14 years he will be promoted to CF.
However, the state government appointed DyCF Jayarame Gowda R, an IFS officer who joined in 2013, as field director of NNTR while issuing promotion and periodic transfer orders to 41 IFS officers. Gowda’s subordinate Pawan Jeff, IFS officer of the year 2018, is also a DyCF. Both will have the same rank.
Except for NNTR, all tiger reserves in Maharashtra have senior officials in top posts. The field officer in Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) is a CCF rank officer, while in other tiger reserves such as Sahyadri, Pentibor and Tadoba Andari, CF rank officers are the field officers. The state also demoted the post of field director in Pench from CCF rank to CF level, reducing the importance of Pench.
Ravikiran Gobekar, CCF and Joint Secretary (Mantralaya), said, “Due to the acute shortage of senior cadre officers (such as Melghat and Pench) these days, senior level DyCF rank officers with extensive wildlife experience have been substituted. It is always better to have a This means leaving the post vacant. ”
Gobekar added: “There is a need to staff the tiger reserves with young but experienced police officers instead of those who are nearing retirement.” Mr. Gowda is senior enough to be in charge of the position of site supervisor. Some tiger reserves in other states are also headed by DyCF. We have in the past demoted FD posts to the nearest next grade depending on the availability of officers. ”
On the contrary, retired senior forest officials said the state is yet to issue any notification to downgrade these two posts in NNTR as per rules before issuing the transfer order. Many posts were not included in the list of senior officers notified in the last executive review in 2016.
Expanding
Given this arrangement in the NNTR, it appears that the state is not interested in giving unified control of the 1,241 sq km NNTR buffer zone to field wardens who have been on the firing line for the past six years. The buffer zone of this park was notified in September 2016. On the contrary, FDCM conducts large-scale commercial logging in buffer zone areas, causing human-animal conflicts and damage to corridors.
Those working in the field call this the government’s indifference towards NNTR. In 2019, NNTR ranked 16th in Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE), ahead of Corbett and Tabova. “This was possible thanks to the senior and experienced staff leading the park,” officials said.
“Secondly, it is humiliating and embarrassing for junior officers to come face-to-face with personnel of the same batch in senior positions during meetings. “By doing so, we can take the initiative,” they said.
The Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP), as amended in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, requires notification of buffer zones around tiger reserves. The buffer zones of Melghat, Pench and Tadoba are already under unified management.
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