Forest protection body seeks withdrawal of Assam order deploying 1,600 personnel for poll duty

A group of former bureaucrats and wildlife conservationists has urged the Assam government to withdraw an order directing the deployment of around 1,600 Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) personnel for the upcoming elections, warning that the move could weaken forest protection and breach established rules.

The appeal, made through an open letter, argues that assigning AFPF personnel to election duties would leave forests vulnerable at a critical time while also conflicting with existing legal and administrative provisions. The signatories stress that such deployment risks diverting frontline staff away from conservation responsibilities.

“As per the explicit guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI), territorial forest forces and serving forest officials, including senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, are not to be requisitioned for election-related duties,” the letter states.

The communication has been authored by former Kerala principal chief conservator of forests Prakriti Srivastava and signed by several former senior officials and conservationists, including Meena Gupta, Dr AK Jha, Dr Uma Shankar Singh, Prerna Singh Bindra and Debadityo Sinha.

The letter also refers to a 2024 Supreme Court order that exempted forest officials and departmental vehicles from election deployment, reinforcing the argument that the Assam directive may be inconsistent with judicial directions.

Calling for immediate intervention, the signatories caution that removing forest personnel from the field could create opportunities for illegal activities.

“This matter requires urgent attention to prevent administrative overreach and to uphold the rule of law, while ensuring that our forests, wildlife and their habitats are protected and not allowed to be plundered by unscrupulous elements in the absence of field staff,” the letter adds.

The Assam environment department issued the order on 19 March, directing AFPF personnel to assist state police during the elections scheduled for April 9. According to the directive, personnel must report to the Additional Director General of Police by April 3 and are expected to return by April 10.