Nagpur: The state government doesn’t seem to be inclined to the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) bid to give backdoor entry to existing divisional managers (DMs) by reappointing them after retirement.
The FDCM board in its meeting on June 28, 2018 approved to reappoint existing DMs on contract basis who will retire this year. A section of members said the board also gave approval to grant financial and administrative powers and all allowances to the retired DMs as they used to have during their service period.
Among the host of conditions to reappoint them, one includes a deposit of Rs50 lakh as bank guarantee. This has been done considering a turnover of Rs50 lakh of every division, they said.
Even though FDCM board approved reappointment of retired DMs, forest ministry officials said the corporation cannot reappoint the same set of officials.
They said though the government is reappointing retired forest officials on a contract basis it should be through a systematic process by publishing an advertisement and inviting applications. “FDCM will also have to allow other retired forest officials in the forest department to compete,” they added.
“FDCM is fully controlled by the government and it cannot take a unanimous decision to reappoint same DMs who are retiring. They will have to follow rules and be fair,” they said.
They further added the corporation is controlled by the government and will have to abide by its rules. It will have to go for a fair competition if it wants to reappoint DMs.
Earlier, on May 31, the FDCM had reappointed PS Rajput as DM of Bramhapuri on the same day he retired. He was granted all financial and administrative powers. On June 29, the order was cancelled though Rajput did not join.
Earlier, talking to TOI, FDCM managing director N Rambabu had said a request has been made to the forest department to depute 5 suitable officers from DFO cadre.
Rambabu had said that at present eligible assistant managers (AMs) are not available for promotion and the serving AMs will become eligible for promotion as DMs in September 2019.
There are 19 posts of DM in FDCM of which 14 will fall vacant and on January 1, 2019, and the corporation will be left with only 5 DMs.
However, instead of bringing DFOs from forest department on deputation, the FDCM board is determined to recruit same ‘controversial’ DMs on contract basis by giving them all powers.
