the goan I network
MAPUSA
Government officials pitching for a favourite place of posting is nothing new. Similarly, there are some who remain in service at their place of choice for years.
The fate of eleven forest guards who have managed to stick at one place for 12 long years is nothing short of a record.
The forest guards were posted in the social forestry division since 2007 soon after completion of their six months training.
While four forest guards have managed to stay put at their place of choice at the Usgaon range office, four forest guards have managed to remain in Quepem range office for 12 long years.
Similarly, three forest guards at the Ponda range office have continued to remain in the same division and place of posting for the last 12 years.
Normally, the social forestry division is considered as a soft posting where there is no much workload.
Forest guards in the division look after plantations on public/society land such as along roadside, comunidade land, gardens, parks etc.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Santosh Kumar, informed that generally transfers were initiated after every three to five years depending upon the post.
“A forest guard in the social forestry division may be retained at one place for five years but in sensitive postings, the transfers take place every three years. We will look in the matter where the guards have remained in one place for more than 10 years. I will ask for the file…,” Kumar said.
Incidentally, the government has failed to implement the time-bound scale to forest guards despite fulfilling the criteria.
As per government service recommendation if a government servant completes 10 years of service he is entitled to the time-bound scale even if he is not promoted.
A least 90 such forest guards have been denied the facility, a source informed.
