Chennai: Irked by the high-handedness of a district collector reflected in alleged verbal abuse over the phone, IFS officers serving in the state have taken up the matter with their top officers and are now demanding action from the state top brass at secretariat. The audio of a recent phone call made by the Theni district collector A. Venkatachalam threatening the local DFO Anandakumar of Megamalai for allowing a private estate company to lay roads inside the reserve forest has gone viral among IFS officers serving in the state. The audio clip is now a popular Whatsapp forward among the rank and file serving in the Panagal building, the state forest headquarters.
"The audio clip has been confirmed by a local DFO to be that of a conversation between him and the collector. The officer had also submitted his point of view with the principal chief conservator of forests", confirmed a senior IFS official, who is also a member of the IFS officers association. "We are also planning to reach out to the IAS officers association to explain the difficulties faced by some of the IFS officers, who are working with collectors as some of the district heads fail to respect their subordinates," said another forest official, He pointed out that often those administrating the revenue departments are encroaching into the jurisdiction of the forest act.
When contacted, Theni district collectorate sources confirmed that there was a lot of friction between IAS and IFS officers serving in the district. The collector wanted to create a new drinking water source to meet the public demand, but the foresters threw the rule book at them creating tension, sources added.
Excerpts from the audio:
Collector: what do you think about yourself and the collector. Do you think that the district collector is a joker. There is no water for the public to drink and you are asking the authorities to get forest department permission. Did you people issue permission for the estate people to fell trees and lay roads inside the protected reserve forest.
DFO: Sir, it is a protected forest, to dig borewells permission had to be obtained and necessary actions are taken against those who have violated forest rules in the road relaying case.
Collector: Did you say that the collector should not enter the forestland and another person with you is a mullamari.
DFO: That's a false information to you.
Collector: If you give an adverse report, I will also give a report to the state asking to register a police complaint against you foresters -- starting from PCCF, conservator, ranger, guards and you, for allowing the private estate people to cut trees and lay roads for more than three kms. Let's see whose report is stronger, the collector or the DFO. I will lay roads, I will dig up borwells. You do whatever you want.
