The Haryana government is set to appoint a new Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) after the position has remained vacant for over a month, leading to administrative instability within the Forest Department.
Vineet Garg, a 1989-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, is currently the frontrunner for the role. Garg, who currently holds the position of PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, has emerged as a top candidate for the post.
However, Garg’s potential appointment is complicated by multiple ongoing investigations against him. The Vigilance Department and Lokayukta are probing allegations of financial irregularities, including the misuse of departmental funds and mismanagement of the budget, as reported by ANI.
The leadership of the Forest Department has been in flux following the retirement of former PCCF Pankaj Goyal on September 30, amid a vigilance inquiry. Additionally, Jagdish Chander, who had served as PCCF before Goyal, was removed from the position in February due to performance-related issues.
Sources suggest that the Haryana government is likely to finalize the appointment of the new PCCF after the current assembly session concludes.