Guwahati, March 30: A group of former bureaucrats and wildlife conservationists has called on the Assam government to withdraw its directive deploying around 1,600 Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) personnel for election duties, warning that the move could undermine forest security and violate established norms.
In an open letter, the signatories argued that diverting AFPF personnel to assist with polling arrangements would leave forests exposed at a crucial time, potentially increasing the risk of illegal activities. They maintained that such deployment conflicts with existing legal and administrative provisions governing the use of forest staff.
The letter cited guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, which state that territorial forest forces and serving forest officials, including Indian Forest Service officers, should not be assigned election-related responsibilities.
Authored by former Kerala principal chief conservator of forests Prakriti Srivastava, the appeal has been endorsed by several prominent conservationists and former officials, including Meena Gupta, A K Jha, Uma Shankar Singh, Prerna Singh Bindra and Debadityo Sinha.
The communication also referenced a 2024 order of the Supreme Court of India, which exempted forest officials and departmental vehicles from being requisitioned for election work, reinforcing concerns that the Assam directive may be inconsistent with judicial directions.
The signatories warned that removing frontline forest personnel from active duty could create opportunities for poaching, illegal logging, and other unlawful activities. They described the issue as requiring urgent attention to prevent administrative overreach while safeguarding forests and wildlife habitats.
The order in question was issued by the state’s environment department on March 19, directing AFPF personnel to assist police during the Assembly elections scheduled for April 9. As per the directive, personnel are to report to the Additional Director General of Police by April 3 and return to their duties by April 10.
