Forest dept to hire retd officials to ease staff shortage
RANCHI : Forest department has decided to hire retired persons on contract to fill the crucial vacant posts and utilise their experiences for betterment of forest management, forest officials said.
The department has issued recruitment notice to hire retired officials, who have not completed 64 years of age by June 15, 2019, on different posts such as assistant conservator of forest (ACF) and ranger officers. Fresh recruitment on these posts will take at least four years to get a staff on field, forest officials said.
As many as 36 posts of ACFs and 70 posts of rangers are vacant, affecting office as well as forest works on field. The ACFs assist seniors in office monitor many things related to forest management, while range officers manage infrastructure, financial and other activities.
Chief conservator of forest (personnel) Ashok Kumar said, “Recruitment notice for filling the 36 posts of ACFs and 70 posts of range officer has been issued. The recruitment will be for oneyear on contract. Further extension on contract will be decided after a year.” “The age of the person should not be above 64 by June 15, 2019,” he said.
Since recruitments on these posts are done by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), it normally takes two years time to fill, Kumar said.
“Recruitment process through JPSC will take at least two years time. Besides, two years more required for their training. It means, we will get officials on field after four years. We need the officials immediately, as the works are getting hampered. The recruitment process through JPSC will also go along with this,” he said.
A section of forest officials, however, raised question over recruitment procedure of range officer.
“The forest department’s recruitment notice for range officer said the persons who have worked as foresters for three years could also apply for the post. Here is a technical error. A forest ranger is a gazetted rank officer, while forester is non-gazetted rank officer. How a non-gazetted rank officer could be recruited as gazetted rank officer when he has no training of a range officer?” a senior forest official said requesting anonymity.
The forest official further said the initiative might create anger among foresters, who could demand promotion on post of forest ranger.
A SECTION OF FOREST OFFICIALS, HOWEVER, RAISED QUESTION OVER RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE OF RANGE OFFICER