PANAJI
There has been growing disquiet among forest officers in the State ever since Range Forest Officer (RFO) Narayan Prabhudesai, accused of firing in the air during clashes with locals in Sattari, was given three transfer orders within barely 50 days.
They have claimed that such transfer orders have not only demoralised the forest officers, but have also sent the wrong signal to those who do their duty with dedication despite the pressures, risks and challenges.
An order to transfer Prabhudesai along with five other RFOs was issued on July 13 and Prabhudesai was transferred from the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary to the Campal forest area.
However, another order was issued on August 26 to keep the transfer order in abeyance.
Another order was then issued on September 1 to transfer Prabhudesai from the Mhadei wildlife range to the Collem wildlife range.
"Such transfers amount to harassment of a sincere officer who is doing his duty by risking his life to protect the forest. If the department does not protect us, how are we to do our duty without any fear,” questioned a forest officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A member of the All Goa Forest Executive Employees Association (AGFEEA) said the forest department has few officers who are sincere in their duty.
“If such action takes place in future, it will send a wrong signal and these officers will hesitate to do their duty with dedication.”
AGFEEA President Pranay Naik said RFOs from the wildlife sanctuaries, especially from the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, have been getting transferred every six months since the last couple of years.
“The forest department should fix some guidelines regarding the transfer of officers. Politicians and even the local media are more sympathetic towards locals who violate forest laws and forest officers are always made scapegoats,” lamented Naik.
“In fact, no action has been initiated against those locals who have attacked the forest officer on duty.”
On May 12, clashes broke out between locals and forest officials at Bandirwada-Savarde in Sattari Taluka and RFO Narayan Prabhudesai is reported to have fired three rounds in the air to disperse the irate crowd.
Forest officers have alleged that Prabhudesai along with Assistant Conservator of Forests Tejaswini Pulusuri, a gazetted officer from the wildlife division of the forest department, were on routine patrolling duty when around 20 locals forcibly dragged the forest officials out of the government vehicle and threatened them with dire consequences.
The locals had also blocked the forest department vehicles for several hours.
The AGFEEA has demanded action against those persons who attacked forest officials on duty. “Instead of protecting an upright officer, the forest department is now harassing Prabhudesai with series of transfers,” said a member of AGFEEA.
