The forest department has witnessed massive change after the regime change and has brought forest officers with clean records for top posts, said an advocate who has served as a government pleader in the past. Welcoming the appointment of Shekhar Kumar Niraj as the Chief Wildlife Warden, the lawyer recalled the officer’s effort in bringing the new tiger reserve at Megamalai wildlife sanctuary. It may be noted that the Megamalai tiger reserve is adjacent to the proposed controversial neutrino project mooted by the centre. 

The state has already posted Supriya Sahu as the principal secretary for environment and forests, Sahu was instrumental in banning plastic in Nilgiris during her tenure as the district collector, recalled conservation scientist A Kumaraguru of Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. Now the state has posted Niraj as chief wildlife warden. Niraj is an officer with rich research knowledge on the tiger landscape in TN and he had also served in Traffic investigating about the Asian poaching network, Kumaraguru said. 

In a recent order, the state posted Ashok Upreti, as Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) as the head of the department. Upreti replaces S Yuvaraj, now posted as PCCF (Research and Education). Syed Muzamil Abbas, who served as chief wildlife warden is transferred and posted as Chairman, Arasu Rubber Corporation. Yogesh Dwivedi, APCCF, was promoted and posted as PCCF and Chairman, Tamil Nadu Forest Plantation Corporation Limited (TAFCORN) to fill the existing vacancy. 

Similarly, P Rajeswari, APCCF (Planning and Budgeting) is posted as Director of Environment in the place of K V Giridhar who was posted as APCCF (Information and Technology). APCCF Deepak Srivastava will be the new member secretary of TN State Wetlands Authority and Akash Deep Baruah is posted as the APCCF (Wildlife), Forest department headquarters sources in Panagal buildings said.