Pandey Committee and Comparative Payscale

To motivate young, qualified personnel and minimized the disparity throughout the country, The Govt of India, Ministry of Forest and Environment seriously consider the matter(i.e. improvement in the service condition of Range Forest officers) constitute a committee called "Pandey Committee" vice office Memorandum No;3-7/94-RT dtd 29.09.1995 and corrigendum No: 3-7/94-RT dtd 12.01.1996. The Letter no. 16-1/96-RT June 23, 1998, The MOEF approved Pandey committee report.Almost of all the State Government have accepted, implemented and improved the service conditions of Forest Range Officer by enhancing the pay scale and given Gazetted status to their Range Officer listed below except West Bengal state(Table-2).

Table: 2 Comparative Payscale of Different States and Status

The Pandey Committee clearly stated in the chapter-5 that "The Range Officers in the past had uniform and parallel pay structure to that of Tehsilder of Revenue Department and Inspector of Police department throughout the country. The role, duties and responsibilities of Range Forest Officer are comparable to Tehsilder of the Revenue Department and Inspectors of Police Department". If we see the table -3, such discrimination started from the third pay commission. The Pandey Committee recommended uniform pay scale of Rs 2000 -3200/- for the Forest Rangers in all states and union territories with reference to the base year of 1986. From then onward the Forest Rangers were kept as under paid. No cadre review has been done for a long period. None of the senior superior of the department got time to think about it. The result is non submission of any proposal from the Directorate/ Department regarding the increase of pay of Forest Rangers to the 3rd, 4th , 5 th and even 6th Pay Commission.As the Forest Rangers were minor and very few in number in any subordinate unions, their problems were unattended and unsolved since 3rd pay commission or Pandey Committee's recommendations.

Table: 3

SK Srivastava, Director, MOEF, Govt of India vide letter No. 110011/01/2006/Dir (IFS) 25.01.07/New Delhi recommended,

• 1. As Forest is in the concurrent list, therefore State Govt. must follow guideline passed time to time.
• 2. DCF level to FG are traied and recruited as per recruitment rules and guideline prescribed by the GOI time to time
• 3. The nature job is Highly Technical therefore the benefit of technical service in terms of pay allowances should be extended. (Minimum qualification for FRO is Graduate in Science/Engineering/Vet./Agricultural and mandatory to trained 2 years(18 month+6 month Field ) in GOI recognized Forest Academy).
• 4. Pandey Committee report for the "improvement of the service condition of Range Forest Officer), The ministry of MOEF accepted the report.
• 5. In order to bring parity and uniformity in the subordinate Forest officials a comparative chart and recommended the basic pay structure.

The MOEF alse recommended that there should be parity between Forest, Police and Revenue Departments. The Forest Rangers should be at the same level of Police Inspector (Circle Inspector) in Police and Tehsildar in Revenue Departments respectively.

CP Oberai, IG of forest and Special Secretary, MOEF, Govt of India vide letter no.3-7/94-RT September 28, 1998

• 1. Recommended one particular post i.e. Range Forest Officer "Pay Scale of RFO should not less than their counterparts of Police Inspector (Circle Inspector of Police ,WB ) and Tahsildar in Revenue Department (i.e. BL and LRO,WB)
• 2.GOI has already given parity to the Indian Forest Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) and it will be in the fitness of things same principle is applied to the Subordinate Forest Service and Police Department.

The pay structure recommendations of Pandey Committee /MOEF for the Divisional Forest Officer (State Forest Service): 10000 - 18000 and the Asst. Conservator of Forest: 8000 - 13500 has been implemented instantly keeping aside the Forest Rangers in the beggar's scale of 4500 - 9700 from 1998.

In spite of recommendation of superior authority of Forest Department, for giving higher pay scale and gazetted status to the Forest Range Officer and it was served to the Principle Secretary, Department of Forest, Government of West Bengal vide their letter no 11350/PMC/2M-932/2011 dtd 22.3.12, 3131/M/2E-8/2K(Pt-II) dtd 25.10.11, 2185/2M-474/2011 dtd 28.11.2011, 279/PCCF-RMD/2M-1 dtd 7.12.2011 and 6625/PMC/2M-932/2011 dtd 17.11.11. There was no clarification for which reasons the recommendations for the Forest Rangers were not implemented so far?

Being deprived from social status for a long duration, now, FOREST RANGER'S FORUM, WEST BENGAL fervently requesting you to kindly upgrades the pay structure and status of Forest Range Officer equal to the others states of India.