Consider claim of 7 retd HFS officers for grant of IFS induction benefits: Tribunal

CHANDIGARH: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has directed the Union government to consider the claim of seven retired Haryana Forest Services (HFS) officers for grant of benefit of induction into Indian Forest Services (IFS) against their relevant select lists.

The applicants had sought directions to the Union government to consider their case for induction into IFS as per the selection lists of 2008-2009.

“Applicant Balbir Singh joined Haryana forest department as forest ranger in 1982 and was inducted into HFS from January 12, 2001 and April 1, 2001 and confirmed as such with effect from November 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009,” it was mentioned.

As per IFS Regulations, 1966, an SFS officer becomes eligible for induction into IFS against promotion quota after eight years of service.

The applicants claimed that despite availability of vacancies and their eligibility, recruitment to IFS by way of promotion could not be finalised for the years 2008-2015 primary due to disputed seniority lists and court cases. It was following high court’s direction that seniority list was issued in 2015 and meeting of selection committee for induction of SFS officers into IFS was held in 2018 for years 20082015. By this time, the applicants had retired.

However, the Haryana government proposed to the Union government that all 16 HFS officers, including applicants in selection lists of 2008 to 2015, may be appointed as IFS officers.

The Union government issued notification in May 2020 appointing various persons as IFS officers, but applicants’ names were missing. Following this, they moved tribunal.

The tribunal chaired by Sanjeev Kaushik and Ajanta Dayalan observed, “It is undisputed that state of Haryana has specifically recommended 16 HFS officers (including the applicants) may be induced to IFS. It is also not in dispute that at relevant point of time, the applicants were eligible, available and within the zone of considerations.”

“The applicants cannot be made to suffer on the part of delay caused by the authorities...on the relevant date they were in employment and as such cannot be denied appointment to IFS,” it added.