The forest department has defied the Union environment ministry’s instructions not to effect transfers in the tiger reserves by shifting out a range forest officer (RFO) from Kali Tiger Reserve, a move which will affect the ongoing tiger census as well as rehabilitation efforts.
In an order issued on Wednesday, the department transferred RFO Prasanna Bellad from the Kumbarwada range in the Anshi subdivision of Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) to the newly created Hukkeri range in Belagavi district.
The department’s move is in direct violation of instruction given by Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Bhupender Yadav, who wrote to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on August 2 in this regard.
Seeking Bommai’s “personal intervention” to ensure that the fifth cycle of tiger census happens without a hitch, Yadav wrote: “It is prudent to ensure participation of officials and forest frontline force units across tiger bearing areas in the state. Transfer and posting in tiger reserves/protected areas during the period may also be avoided at all levels.”
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Sanjai Mohan, who signed the transfer order, was not available for comment. However, sources said that over the last few years, the ministers have taken over the PCCF’s power to make transfers.
Forest Minister Umesh Katti told DH that he will look into the issue.
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Published 09 December 2021, 19:17 IST