THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five PCCFs including Chief Forest Officer Bennichan Thomas will retire on Monday. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Pramod Kumar Pathak, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Management) Noel Thomas, Rebuild Kerala Development Program Special Officer Prakriti Srivastava and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry) E. Pradeep Kumar are the other names retiring from service.

A 1988-batch Kerala cadre officer, Bennichan entered service as an IFS probationer service in the North Wayanad division. A professionally adept life gave him several roles to show his mettle. Munnar Division Assistant Deputy Forest Conservator, Forest Department Headquarters, Monitoring and Evaluation Section DCF, Agasthyavanam Biological Park Conservator, Kerala Nirmithi Center Director, High Range Circle CCF, KFDC are the many roles taken during his career. After holding the posts of Managing Director, PCCF, and Chief Wildlife Warden. He was appointed as Chief Forest Officer in 2022.

Albeit his career getting enough adorations, Bennichan also saw certain fallbacks that need to be mentioned. He was suspended in November 2021 after he gave permission to Tamil Nadu to cut 15 trees to strengthen the Mullaperiyar baby dam. However, many officials raised disproval of the move and accused the authorities of sacrificing only Bennichan as permission to cut the tree was given as per the decision of the meeting attended by the secretaries from the water and forest department. Thus the suspension was later withdrawn.