Hyderabad: Just 10 days before his retirement, an Indian Forest Officer (IFS), heading the forest department in the state, was included in a study tour to Australia beginning Sunday. Forest timber merchants and saw millers’ association has raised objections over the foreign tour of the officer and complained to chief secretary Santhi Kumar to drop him from the team.
Principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) and head of the forest force RM Dobriyal was made part of the 10-member delegation, led by principal secretary of the environment and forest Ahmad Nadeem and several chief conservation of forests and district forest officers, to visit Australia to study eco-restoration of the overburden, other issues related to conservation measures in the coal belt area between April 20 and 30.
But PCCF Dobriyal is retiring from service on April 30, and he will be coming back a day before his retirement i.e., on April 29 from Australia to hand over charge to the new PCCF, while other delegation members are coming on April 30.
“Generally, the govt sends officers on a study tour to utilise their knowledge in the department and services. How can a retiring person be part of the delegation? Though the expenditure will be borne by SCCL, it is waste of public money and the state govt should rethink on this. We have sent a representation to the chief minister and chief secretary also,” Federation of Telangana Timber Merchants, Saw Millers and Allied Industries president Chakkilam Ramanaiah told TOI.
Instead of him, the govt should have replaced him with another senior officer in the delegation, they said.
Reacting on the demand, Dobriyal said the delegation was approved by the govt last year and the visits deferred several times. “As an experienced officer in the forest department, I can guide and explain things to my junior officers like DFOs, who are part of the delegation. Even after my retirement, I will be based in Hyderabad, the govt can utilise my services,” the PCCF said.
To a query on whether he was seeking an extension, Dobriyal said he had not asked for any extension of his service as he would be retiring on April 30.
