Over 200 RFOs to go on strike from Jan 2

Nagpur: Throwing forest protection to the wind, over 200 promoted range forest officers (RFOs) in the state will launch a chain-hunger strike from January 2, 2023, for not being regularized.
These RFOs were promoted in 2014, but even after eight years they have not been regularized, which has hampered their promotion prospects. Even as their regularization is delayed, the PCCF office has sought proposals from 183 directly recruited RFOs for promotion to the assistant conservators of forest (ACFs).
Discontent is brewing among promoted RFOs involved in wildlife and forest protection and other crucial administrative works. In a memorandum to head of forest force (HoFF), forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and principal secretary (forest), the RFOs have said that despite the availability of posts, and being eligible, they are not being regularized, and hence their names are also not been included in the list promotion as ACFs. If they are regularized, at least 125 RFOs will be eligible to become ACFs.
They said that from 2011 till 2019, over 500 foresters were promoted as RFOs but only 113 have been regularized. “This is against the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) order of August 30, 2019, that has directed the forest department to regularize the promotion of RFOs depending on the available quota. However, the forest department has failed to regularize promotion of these RFOs, due to which fear of them getting reverted looms large,” the aggrieved RFOs said.
The RFOs have demanded that the promotion process of directly recruited RFOs be stalled and they should be regularized first. If the demand is not met the RFOs will go on strike in each forest circle in the state. There are 11 circles in the state.