Major overhaul in forest dept

24-01-2009
Major overhaul in forest dept
Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Major_overhaul_in_forest_dept/articleshow/4018922.cms

AHMEDABAD: The state government effected major transfers in the forest department, shifting out conservator of forest (CF) Wildlife Junagadh and Gir sanctuary) Bharat Pathak.

Pathak, who headed Gir sanctuary for the past eight years, will now be in charge of the newly carved north Gujarat wildlife circle comprising Nal Sarovar, Thol, Balaram and Jessore sloth bear sanctuary.

He will be replaced by MM Sharma who was conservator of Junagadh.

Apart from these, at least six conservators of forest were promoted as chief conservator of forest (CCF).

These were major transfers of the chief conservator and conservator of forest category in the past couple of years. Recently, the forest department had transferred deputy conservator of forest and officials of ranks below.

According to senior officials, Pathak's transfer was long overdue but considering his work, the officials had kept him in Gir for nearly eight years. Sources said that there was major discontentment among officials over this.

Among those promoted as chief conservator of forest are K Chand, currently CF Valsad, who is now CCF (monitoring and vigilance); Anup Shukla, MD of Central Gujarat Electricity Company, who is now posted as MD, Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited; AK Varsana, CF (social forestry) Rajkot, who has been transferred as MD, Gujarat Rural Development Corporation; SC Srivastav, MD Gujarat Agro Limited, who is now CCF (working plan) Vadodara. Also, RJ Assari, CF Surat, has been promoted as CCF (land) Gandhinagar while AK Saxena, director (biotechnology) has been promoted as CCF.