Guwahati: A group of former civil servants and wildlife specialists has requested that the Assam government cancel an instruction requiring nearly 1,600 Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) personnel to work on election-related duties, cautioning that it could undermine forest management and violate regulations.
Through a public appeal, the group warned that diverting AFPF members to electoral tasks could leave protected areas exposed during a critical period and conflict with existing laws and administrative rules.
The signatories warned that such redeployment could pull essential staff away from their core conservation work.
The letter noted that Election Commission of India (ECI) rules clearly state that territorial forest staff and serving forest officers, including senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) personnel, should not be assigned election responsibilities.
The letter was drafted by Prakriti Srivastava, former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Kerala, and is backed by several retired officials and conservation experts, including Meena Gupta, former secretary of the Environment Ministry; AK Jha, former PCCF, Maharashtra; Uma Shankar Singh, former PCCF, Uttar Pradesh; Prerna Singh Bindra, former member of the National Board of Wildlife’s standing committee; and Debadityo Sinha, a wildlife conservationist.
It also refers to a 2024 Supreme Court directive that exempted forest officers and departmental vehicles from election duties, underscoring concerns that Assam’s instruction may conflict with judicial guidance.
The group urged prompt action, warning that taking forest personnel off duty could create openings for illegal logging, poaching, and other unlawful activities.
The letter adds that immediate steps are necessary to prevent misuse of administrative authority while ensuring forests, wildlife, and their habitats remain protected in the absence of field staff.
The Assam environment department issued a directive on March 19, calling on AFPF personnel to assist the state police during the Assembly elections on April 9.
The order specifies that staff report to the Additional Director General of Police by April 3 and resume their regular duties after April 10.