The State Government of Karnatakahas gone ahead in granting quickpromotions to officers of the IndianForest Service (IFS), thus creating alarge number of new posts, reportedly in violationof All-India Service Rules. It now appearsthat the State is heading for a showdownwith the Centre by opting to create additionalposts in the Forest Service without the requisiteapproval.A requisition of the State Government seekingconsent for the promotion of IFS officersprior to the formal approval for a cadre reviewof the IFS in the State was reportedly turneddown by theUnionMinistry of Forests recently.Despite this, the authorities went aheadwith the promotion of nearly 35 officers inMay. Should the Centre turn down the requestof the State Government to create nearly 50new posts for the IFS, it will not merely be asnub to the State Government, but it will alsomean having to reverse the promotions.
Interestingly, ameeting of a high-level Statecadre review committee headed by AdditionalChief Secretary to the State Government TaraAjai Singh was called on May 13 to look into aproposal submitted by the Principal ChiefConservator of Forests and Head of the ForestForce, I.B. Srivastav, which was handed overto the Government on February 25.
In a recent order, the Government promotedeight IFS officials of the rank of Chief Conservatorof Forests as Additional Principal ChiefConservator of Forests, while the sanctionedstrength of APCCFs was only five. Also, theGovernment unilaterally sought to raise thestrength of CCF posts from 26 to 68 (34 cadreand 34 ex-cadre).
At present, the State has a sanctionedstrength of 100 for the IFS cadre positionsapart from 64 IFS for ex-cadre positions.
