The Uttarakhand High Court on Tuesday stayed transfer of Rajaji National Park Deputy Director HK Singh and also gave four-week time to the State Government to respond in the matter.
It may be mentioned that Singh was transferred out of Rajaji for a second time within a span of four months on administrative grounds and then in public interest. The HC also sought an explanation from the Government about the public interest angle on Tuesday, said Singh while talking to The Pioneer. It will be recalled that while Singh was transferred out of Rajaji, Provincial Forest Service officer Kishan Chand was transferred to Rajaji as deputy director who had elicited strong opposition from wildlife activists alleging that Kishan was facing a probe over certain anomalies including seizure of leopard pelt and other wild animal body parts displayed as trophies at his official residence.
Singh informed that he was first transferred on December 5 last year to the post of divisional forest officer in the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) on ‘administrative grounds’. “I had challenged this decision in the court as I could be transferred on administrative grounds if there was any official proceeding against me or some administrative anomaly in my functioning. This transfer order was quashed on January 3 when the Government failed to clarify the administrative grounds. I was again transferred to the PCCF (Wildlife) office on March 4 in ‘public interest’. I challenged this order in the HC where Chief Justice Barin Ghosh on Tuesday ordered a stay on the transfer and gave the respondent four weeks to reply,” said Singh.
Earlier, wildlife activists also planned to approach the Election Commission and Forest Department against the posting of Chand to the post of Rajaji deputy director. They alleged that inspite of a past government order against his posting in any sensitive area, he was transferred to Rajaji due to political reasons as his wife is also a candidate in the Panchayat elections from the Haridwar region and is said to have influence over people living in villages along the southern boundary of the national park.