There is an exodus of officials from the Forest Cell of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Unable to cope with ‘200 bosses’ interfering on a daily basis, most officials deputed to the Forest Cell have sought to be repatriated to the Forest Department.
Six Deputy Range Forest Officers (DRFOs) on Tuesday requested the authorities concerned to repatriate them to the Forest Department. According to sources, two more DRFOs will follow suit on Wednesday. As a result, the Forest Cell, which takes care of over 14 lakh trees in the BBMP limits, will be left with nobody to work. Besides implementing afforestation programmes, BBMP Forest Cell maintains the ecology of the city and processes at least 3,000 applications per year seeking permission to fell trees. The post of the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) has remained vacant since the time IFS officer Brijesh Kumar was booted out of BBMP, allegedly under pressure from some councillors. Meanwhile, on December 17, three ACFs – two tree officers and one lake officer, were relieved from their services without being given any specific reason. However, on December 24, they obtained a stay from the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT). It passed an order that the three officers should be transferred only after being given alternative postings.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Personnel and Recruitment) G. Vidyasagar, who received the representation from DRFOs, said the officers will be informed about their postings by month-end. “The IFS officers posted to BBMP Forest Cell have complained that their action plans were not being approved and that it is difficult to work there,” said Mr. Vidyasagar.
Many IFS officials have recounted how they faced “harassment” while they were working in BBMP. “There is interference from non-officials at every step – it may be a local businessman or any supporter of councillors. This sort of environment is not congenial for forest officials…we are expected to be muscle men,” said Mr. Brijesh Kumar, the former CCF.
IFS officers are routinely humiliated in the BBMP council and during meetings. “Pressure was always there, but in the recent months things have worsened,” he said.
Meanwhile, BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayana issued an order delegating the powers of the two ACFs (tree officers) to the Horticulture Inspectors, who will now be responsible for cutting, pruning and felling of trees.
Refusing to comment on the recent exodus of Forest Cell officials, the Commissioner said he had not been informed about the IFS officers leaving BBMP.
