Promotion without passing departmental exam illegal; Tribunal orders demotion of more than 500 SFOs

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Kerala Administrative Tribunal has ordered the demotion of more than five hundred Section Forest Officers (SFOs) who were illegally promoted in the Forest Department. The ruling applies to those promoted from Beat Forest Officers. Kerala Kaumudi had reported on November 22 that the order of the Additional Principal Chief Forest Conservator to downgrade those who did not pass the departmental examination was not implemented.

The amendment to the Forest Subordinate Service Rules, 2010 states that SC and ST candidates should be promoted only after passing the departmental examination within three years and others within two years. Kerala Kaumudi had pointed out that the beat forest officers who passed the examination were not getting promotions as those promoted undeservedly were not demoted. Those who qualified approached the Administrative Court on the basis of the newspaper report.

The order states that those promoted without passing the exam should be demoted within two months.

The rule is that the beat forest officers who have not written the examination can be promoted to section forest officers only after attaining the age of fifty years. They were promoted in violation of this.

Illegal promotion as Deputy Ranger

The illegal promotion of a Section Forest Officer (SFO) as Deputy Ranger has sparked anger among the forest guards. It was the Additional Principal Chief Forest Conservator who wrote to the Forest Division in 2021 asking for the list of those who became SFOs without passing the exam himself who ordered him to be promoted as Deputy Ranger on the 20th. The Section Forest Officer of Vadakara has been posted as Deputy Ranger in Malayattoor Division.