Jaipur: The forest department continues to remain without a regular head, with the appointment of the next principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) and head of forest force (HoFF) getting caught in repeated delays.The selection committee meeting was postponed for the third time Nov 6, even as the race to succeed former HoFF Arijit Banerjee, who retired on Oct 31, remains unresolved.A source said, “The reason for Friday’s postponement was not immediately known, and no fresh date for the meeting has been announced so far. The repeated deferments have left the department without clarity on who will head the state’s forest administration.”The selection process had already run into a complication following a representation submitted by a green activist to the chief secretary, alleging corruption and irregularities against one of the officers in the race. The allegations have not been independently verified.The first meeting, scheduled for Sept 24 in the chief secretary’s chamber, was postponed due to “unavoidable reasons”, according to an order issued by the department of personnel. The order did not cite the representation as a reason for the deferment at that time either.“Three senior Indian Forest Service officers are understood to be in contention for the top post. The special selection committee, headed by the chief secretary, is responsible for assessing the suitability of the eligible officers and recommending a successor,” added an official.
