CAT orders reinstatement of Chief Conservator of Forests over unlawful slicing of timber in Uttarakhand

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: The Nainital-based circuit bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Allahabad on Friday heard the matter of elimination of Chief Conservator of Forests Rajiv Bharti from the submit and appointment of Vinod Kumar Singhal in his place.

The courtroom stayed bhartari’s switch order and ordered the federal government to reinstate him to the identical submit with quick impact. Bharti was accused of slicing 6,000 timber in Corbett Park and never taking motion on unlawful development.

Earlier, a division bench of the Uttarakhand High Court, Nainital, whereas listening to a petition filed by Rajiv Bharti, had requested him to problem his switch order in CAT Allahabad and directed the CAT to listen to the matter on the earliest.

The High Court had additionally mentioned in its order that the newly appointed head of the division shouldn’t take any main choice throughout this era.

The matter got here up for listening to earlier than a single bench headed by Justice Om Prakash. According to the case, IFS officer Rajiv Bhartri had filed a petition stating, “He was the senior-most officer of the Indian Forest Service in the state, but the government had on November 25, 2021 transferred him from the post of Chief Conservator of Forests to the post of Chairman of the Biodiversity Board, which he considered was against the Constitution”.

When contacted by The New Indian Express, IFS Rajeev Bharti refused to remark, however his lawyer Vijay Negi instructed this reporter, “In seniority order, IFS of 1986 batch and the most senior of the state Rajiv Bharti was unconstitutionally transferred from his post.”

Referring to a Supreme Court ruling, advocate Negi mentioned, “The transfer decision is taken by the committee of the chief secretary and additional chief secretary under the Civil Services Board, which was not followed in this case.”

DEHRADUN: The Nainital-based circuit bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Allahabad on Friday heard the matter of elimination of Chief Conservator of Forests Rajiv Bharti from the submit and appointment of Vinod Kumar Singhal in his place.

The courtroom stayed bhartari’s switch order and ordered the federal government to reinstate him to the identical submit with quick impact. Bharti was accused of slicing 6,000 timber in Corbett Park and never taking motion on unlawful development.

Earlier, a division bench of the Uttarakhand High Court, Nainital, whereas listening to a petition filed by Rajiv Bharti, had requested him to problem his switch order in CAT Allahabad and directed the CAT to listen to the matter on the earliest.

The High Court had additionally mentioned in its order that the newly appointed head of the division shouldn’t take any main choice throughout this era.

The matter got here up for listening to earlier than a single bench headed by Justice Om Prakash. According to the case, IFS officer Rajiv Bhartri had filed a petition stating, “He was the senior-most officer of the Indian Forest Service in the state, but the government had on November 25, 2021 transferred him from the post of Chief Conservator of Forests to the post of Chairman of the Biodiversity Board, which he considered was against the Constitution”.

When contacted by The New Indian Express, IFS Rajeev Bharti refused to remark, however his lawyer Vijay Negi instructed this reporter, “In seniority order, IFS of 1986 batch and the most senior of the state Rajiv Bharti was unconstitutionally transferred from his post.”

Referring to a Supreme Court ruling, advocate Negi mentioned, “The transfer decision is taken by the committee of the chief secretary and additional chief secretary under the Civil Services Board, which was not followed in this case.”