Rift widens among Forest Department employees over denial of promotion, bias
Employees are protesting against unfair practices, show-cause notices, and proposed rule amendments favoring some staff over others who cleared mandatory exams.
Employees are protesting against unfair practices, show-cause notices, and proposed rule amendments favoring some staff over others who cleared mandatory exams.
Employees are protesting against unfair practices, show-cause notices, and proposed rule amendments favoring some staff over others who cleared mandatory exams.
Kozhikode: A rift has developed among the Forest Department employees, as unrest simmers in the administrative wing over accusations of internal bias and unfair promotion practices linked to interference from ministerial staff. The tension has escalated with the recent denial of promotions to employees who have successfully cleared three tests and completed the required training in accordance with departmental norms.
Moreover, a disciplinary action initiated against four employees who demanded the enforcement of a High Court order related to the appointment of dependents further escalated the issue. These employees were issued show-cause notices.
Protests have intensified against the staff at the Forest Department headquarters, who have been appointed under the dependent quota. These individuals hold key administrative positions, with nine Senior Administrative Assistants and eleven Administrative Officers reportedly filling these roles. Allegations have emerged suggesting that some of these officials are manipulating service-related decisions for personal gain.
Adding to the controversy is the unusual manner in which the show-cause notices were issued. Though printed on the letterhead of the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF), who heads the administrative wing, the notices were not signed by the APCCF, Pramod G Krishnan, but instead by another administrative staff member. Some employees allege that this practice is a procedural violation and lacks transparency.
Around 150 employees have submitted a petition highlighting serious breaches of departmental norms. However, only four staff members at the headquarters have been selectively targeted with disciplinary notices.
In another controversial move, the Forest Department's administrative wing has proposed amending the special rules to promote 1,477 employees despite not clearing mandatory departmental exams. This recommendation, aimed at safeguarding these employees, threatens to deny long-overdue promotions to those who have successfully passed the exams since 2010, sparking further divisions within the department.