17 IFS officers to retire in Uttarakhand by end of 2022

Rishikesh, May 4 dmanewsdesk:  Seventeen Indian Forest Service officers in Uttarakhand are going to retire by the end of 2022 leading to shortage of officers which may make it difficult for the department to manage 36 forest divisions and two tiger reserves in the state.

The state has sanction for 107 IFS officers, out of whom 90 are in service at present and 17 are due to retire by the end of 2022.

The sudden shortage of IFS officers may make it difficult to manage the forest area spread over 38,000 square kms that is divided into 36 forest divisions and two tiger reserves — Corbett and Rajaji, forest department sources said.

Uttarakhand forest minister Subodh Uniyal admitted that the shortage may occasion some difficulties, but said the government has a mechanism to deal with such situations.

“To deal with situations like these we have decided to send our requisitions for IFS officers to the Union Public Service Commission in advance,” Uniyal said.

The state will deal with the shortage of Provincial Forest Service officers also by sending for requisitions in advance to the Uttarakhand Public Service Commision, he said.

There should be a proportionate allocation of IFS and PFS officers in Uttarakhand every year, he said.

Source: PTI