A Forest Ranger must be Graduate in Science (B.SC, BE, BVSC &AH etc), trained in forestry (18 months + 6 months field training) from the DFE, Govt of India run College. A Forest Range Officer (RFO or RO or FR) occupies a key position in the hierarchy of the Forest administration and plays a crucial role in the protection, management and sustainable development of the Forest Resources within his jurisdiction i.e. custodian and protector of forest resources worth crores which is virtually unguarded. Forest rangers are the cornerstone of the Department. The decreasing per capita forest area, burgeoning human and cattle population resulting in escalating demand for forest produces, open access to the forest resources and vastness of territorial jurisdiction have made FRO job challenging, complex in nature. Range Officer is an Administrator, Engineer, Range Wildlife warden, Planters, Accountant, Land Officer, Welfare officer, Revenue Officer, Publicity officer, Law officer, Inspector of wood based Industries, Natural resources manager, Crime investigating Officer, Implementer of different Government scheme, all in one. In addition to heavy responsibility, have to served in remote, difficult areas deprived of the basic amenities to life like schooling for children, medical facilities and various other daily necessities and even risky. For that highly technical, motivated, qualified personnel required in the Forest Department to meet up the current Environmental scenario. But the hand to mouth, beggar pay scale de-motivated the young, highly qualified personnel to join in this service.
Table: 1
Sl No. | Year of Recruitment(PSC) | No. of Total Recruits | Joined The Department |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2000-2002 | 23 | 7 |
2 | 2003-2005 | 52 | 14 |
3 | 2008-2010 | 52 | 5 |
4 | 2012-2014 | 46 | 9 |
5 | 2014-2016 | 125 | 74 |
6 | 2018-2020 | 168 | 90 |
The following Table:1, shows the number of officers of direct recruitment and how many of them have joined in the department. Even after joining, training, probation, an idenpendent Forest Ranger has left the job. The job of the Forest Ranger is so much dangerous that he had paid back Rs. 8.431 lacks to leave the job (RO/SWLS, STR).
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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).
Sl No. | Post | Payscale | Status |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Forest Ranger(Assam Forest Service, PSC) | Rs 22000/- to 87000/ +GP 10300/- | Gazetted , State Forest Service |
2 | Range Forest Officer (Arunachal PSC) | Rs 9300/- to 34800/ +GP 4200/- | Group B Gazetted, State Fores Service |
3 | Forest Range Officers in A.P. Forest Service, PSC | Rs 15,280/- to 40,510/ +GP 10300/- | Gazetted State Forest Service |
4 | Forest Range Offier (Chattisgar PSC) | Rs 9300/- to 34800/ +4300/- | Gazetted State Forest Service |
5 | Forest Officer (Haryana PSC) | Rs 9300/- to 34800/ +Grade Pay 6400/- | Group B Gazetted, State Forest Service |
6 | Range Forest Officer (Himachal Pradesh PSC) | Rs 10300/- to 34800/ + Rs 4800(G.P.) | Class-II Gazetted, State Forest Service |
7 | Range Forest Officer (Kerala PSC) | Rs 20,740/- to 36140/- | Gazetted State Forest Service |
8 | Forest Ranger (Odisha Forest Service, Odisha PSC) | Pay Scale 44900/- in Pay matrix -10 | Group B Gazetted, State Forest Service |
9 | Range Forest Officer (Rajasthan PSC) | Pay matrix L-11 | Grade-I Gazetted, State Forest Service |
10 | Range Forest Officer (Bihar) | Rs. 35400-112400 | Gazetted, State Forest Service |
11 | Range Forest Officer (Odisha) | Rs. 44900 in Pay matrix 10 | Group-B Gazetted, State Forest Service |
12 | Forest Range Officer (Telangana) | Rs. 31460-84970/- | Gazetted, State Forest Service |
13 | Range Forest Officer (Uttarakhand PSC) | Rs. 9300/- to 34800/ +GP 4800/- | Gazetted, State Forest Service |
14 | Range Forest Officer (Uttar Pradesh PSC) | Rs. 9300/- to 34800/ +GP 4800/- | Group-B Gazetted, State Forest Service |
15 | Range Forest Officer (Karnataka) | Rs. 40900-78200 | Gazetted State Forest Service |
16 | Range Forest Officer (Maharshtra) | Rs. 51800-132300 | Gazetted State Forest Service |
17 | Range Forest Officer (Tamilnadu) | Rs. 15600-39100+GP 5100 | Gazetted State Forest |
18 | Forest Ranger (West Bengal Sub-ordinate Forest Service, PSC) | Rs 7,100-37,600/- +3,900/- | Non Gazetted Subordinate Forest Service |
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
Name of The Post | Qualification | Pay scale as per 3rd pay commission (Rs) WB ROPA 1990 | Pay scale as per 4th pay commission (Rs) WB ROPA 1998 | Pay scale as per 5th pay commission (Rs) WB ROPA 2009 | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forest Ranger | Minimum qualification :Science Graduate(Graduate in Science in general discipline, Graduate in Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary, Forestry) Recruited through WBFS & SFS conducted by WBPSC(three tier examination viz preliminary-200 marks, Written-700marks and viva- 200marks)undergo 25 km walking test conducted by the Forest Department, then undergo 2 years exhaustive training course conducted by the Government of INDIA running training academy and 1 year job training in a Beat and Range | 1390-2970 | 4500-7100 | 7100-37600(Gr Pay 3900) | In this discriminations demotivated qualified young to serve as a Forest Range Officer post in the State and are not interested to continue even when selected for the due to poor pay structure and position in the Government service. |
BL & LRO | Any graduate, qualify WBCS exam grade-c | 1390-2970 | 4800-10925 | 9000-40500(Gr pay 4700) | |
Sub-div information officer | Any graduate, qualify WBPSC written exam | 1390-2970 | 8000-13500 | 9000-40500(Gr pay 5400) | |
Sub Register (ADSR) | Any graduate qualify WBCS exam conducted by WBPSC, Group-c | 1390-2970 | 4800-10925 | 9000-40500(Gr pay 5400) | |
Asst | Any graduate qualify WBCS exam | 1390-2970 | 4800-10925 | 9000-40500(Gr pay) | |
Comercial Tax Officer | Conducted by WBPSC, Group-C |
SK Srivastava, Director, MOEF, Govt of India vide letter No. 110011/01/2006/Dir (IFS) 25.01.07/New Delhi recommended,
Divisional Forest Officer (State Forest Service) | 10000-18000 |
Asst. Conservator of Forest | 8000-13500 |
Range Forest Officer | 7450-11500 |
Dy. Ranger Forester | 6500-10500 |
Forest Guard | 4000-6000 |
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.
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Check Member List Become A MemberThe 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.