Tuesday, 04 April 2023 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State government to hand over the charge of the principal chief conservator of forests to senior IFS officer Rajiv Bhartari at 10 AM on April 4. The division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Alok Kumar Verma issued this direction while hearing on a petition regarding the State government not handing him the charge of PCCF despite the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ordering so. The CAT had rejected the review petition filed by the current PCCF Vinod Kumar Singhal on March 22. Bhartari had filed a petition in the HC against him not being handed over the charge of PCCF despite orders to the effect.
According to the case details, Bhartari had stated in his petition that he is the senior most IFS officer in the State. However, on November 25, 2021 the State government transferred him to the post of the State biodiversity board chairman which he contended was unconstitutional. The officer had made submissions on four occasions to the government but these were not heard. Bhartari had contended that his transfer was motivated by political reasons and amounted to violation of his constitutional rights. It was being speculated that one of the major reasons for Bhartari’s transfer was to allegedly influence the inquiry he had ordered into the illegal constructions and unauthorised tree felling in Corbett national park. On the directions of the HC, Bhartari approached the CAT which ruled in his favour and ordered his immediate reinstatement to the post of PCCF.
The review petition filed by the current PCCF was rejected by the CAT. However, Bhartari has not yet been reinstated to the post of PCCF. He challenged this in the HC which has now directed the State government to hand over the charge of PCCF to Bhartari on Tuesday. The court has also directed the respondent to submit a reply in two weeks.
