IFS officer contests appointment of colleague

The hearing will be held on September 14 at the Mumbai bench of the CAT. Had Singh been appointed as PCCF, the department would have scripted history by appointing its first woman as chief of the forest force. Instead, she was put in charge of social forestry

Mumbai: Sunita Singh, a senior officer of Indian Forest Service missed the opportunity to become the first woman to head the field forest administration as the state government appointed Shailesh Tembhurnikar as Principal Chief Conservator of Forest. Singh, who is now the PCCF (social forestry), has now challenged Tembhurnikar’s appointment in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

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The hearing will be held on September 14 at the Mumbai bench of the CAT. Had Singh been appointed as PCCF, the department would have scripted history by appointing its first woman as chief of the forest force. Instead, she was put in charge of social forestry.

The post of the PCCF had fallen vacant after YLP Rao retired and the state had to choose between a panel of two officers – Singh and Tembhurnikar. Singh was more senior than Tembhurnikar. She is slated to retire in May 2024 whereas Tembhurnikar will retire in August 2024.

A senior officer of the state forest department said, “The state will defend its own decision. We have a right to choose from a panel given to us.’’ To this, Singh said, “Yes, I have moved the Central Administrative Tribunal because I was superseded. I can’t talk much on the case now.’’

The petition has said that Singh has achieved the benchmark as prescribed in Government Resolution dated March 24, 2011. Despite this, she has not been promoted and Tembhurnikar has been promoted by the order dated August 31, 2023. Her counsel has asked that the record of the selection committee be called and the state is also willing for this.

Shailesh Tembhurnikar, on the other hand, said his appointment was done based on his merit, “The case is subjudice, however, what I can say is that my selection was done on merit. There are four criteria which include competence, specific suitability for the post, integrity and outstanding merit. These points are mentioned in a central government order.’’

Incidentally, this is not the first time a woman officer has been superseded by their male counterparts. In the IAS, Chandra Iyengar was not made the chief secretary by the Congress government; instead, JP Dange was chosen. IAS officer Medha Gadgil was superseded. Recently, an additional chief secretary (home) Sujata Saunik was not made chief secretary and her husband Manoj Saunik was made CS.

Retired IAS officer and retired additional chief secretary (home) Chitkala Zutshi said, “Women are seen as independent-minded officers and that’s why women are not given top posts. The government wants a man in all top posts. It’s not anything to do with perception or ability of women.’’