Locals, activists protest forest official's transfer

Locals, activists and environmentalists came together on Wednesday against the transfer of assistant conservator of forests Ravindra Kumar.

Carrying placards slamming the government, forest department officials and politicians for the transfer they assembled at Town Hall. Most of them were the residents from Turahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Yeshwantpur, who have worked with Kumar to save forest patches.

Kumar was transferred on October 5 along with other forest officials. The government and forest department officials had termed it as a routine transfer.

Sunil, a resident of Turahalli, said Kumar had strived to save the forests.

He stood against the corrupt politicians and influentials, took the legal route and saved the forests.

Yet he was transferred when he was just five months away from retirement. “This shows the way the government treats its honest officers. The transfer has not gone down well with other officials. The message this shifting has sent is "save your job and forget the work". It is not just about this transfer, but of all other forest officials,” said a protesting local.

They pointed out the achievements and problems the ground staff of the department face while saving prime lung spaces around the city.

They also warned the government that if the acts were not set right, they would approach the court.