Concerns Raised Over Deployment of Forest Personnel for Assam Elections
Retired Officials Voice Alarm Over Forest Force Deployment
A collective of retired civil servants and former diplomats has voiced serious concerns regarding a recent directive from Assam’s special chief secretary for the environment. This order involves the assignment of approximately 1,600 members of the state's forest protection force to assist with the upcoming Assembly elections.
Referring to a report dated March 26 about this deployment, the former officials expressed their apprehensions in an open letter addressed to the state administration. They argue that the decision to utilize Assam Forest Protection Force personnel for electoral duties is in direct violation of established legal and administrative protocols.
The directive was reportedly issued on March 19, as noted by a local news portal.
Scheduled for April 9, the elections will see votes counted on May 4. The state administration has been in communication with the Election Commission since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 15.
According to the Election Commission's guidelines, it is prohibited to requisition territorial forest forces and active forest officials, including senior members of the Indian Forest Service, for election-related duties, as stated by the Constitutional Conduct Group.
These guidelines aim to safeguard critical ecological functions and forest governance during the election period. The group expressed alarm at the apparent breach of these guidelines by senior state officials.
The decision to deploy personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force is particularly concerning given the necessity to safeguard Assam's unique wildlife and endangered species.
Maintaining constant vigilance through trained forest protection forces is essential to combat poaching and habitat encroachments in protected regions like Kaziranga National Park, the group emphasized.
“If the forest field staff is reassigned to election duties, other vital wildlife, including elephants and tigers, will be left vulnerable to poachers,” the former bureaucrats warned. “Diverting such a significant number of AFPF personnel at this critical time will undoubtedly undermine on-ground protection efforts and heighten the risk of organized wildlife crime.”
They also pointed out that the Supreme Court had, in 2024, acknowledged the specialized nature of forest-related work and explicitly exempted forest officials and their vehicles from election duties.
“Any administrative action that contradicts this ruling constitutes a serious breach of the Supreme Court’s directives and may expose the state government to judicial scrutiny for failing to comply with binding orders,” the group stated, highlighting the troubling precedent this sets, which undermines both statutory protections and institutional integrity.
The retired officials have called on the state’s chief secretary to rescind the order.
The letter has garnered 40 signatories, including notable figures such as Punjab’s former Director General of Police Julio Ribeiro, Delhi’s former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Indian ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhaya, and activist Harsh Mander, who is also a former Indian Administrative Service officer.