National Green Tribunal Stays Assam Govt Order To Deploy 1,600 Forest Personnel For Elections

New Delhi: On April 2, the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Eastern Zone bench stayed an order by the Assam government that sought to deploy 1,600 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for the upcoming elections on April 9.

This comes four days after conservationists and retired forest officials wrote to the Assam government urging them to revoke the order immediately, as The Wire had reported on March 30.

The NGT was hearing a petition filed by Gaurav Bansal, a lawyer, who contested the government order citing violations to an existing Supreme Court order in 2024 that had said that states should not deploy their forest staff for election purposes or for other non-forestry duties, such as the Char Dham Yatra.

The petitioner also argued that the order was “illegal, arbitrary and contrary” to the provisions of India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which mandates that the state conduct continuous monitoring of important wildlife areas such as Kaziranga National Park in Assam, and that the AFPF’s main duty was to safeguard forests and protected areas. He argued that by issuing such an order, the government has “severely compromised the protection and conservation of forests, wildlife, and ecological systems in the State of Assam”.

“The forests of Assam, which are known to harbour a rich and diverse range of biological resources, including several endangered and near-extinction species, require constant vigilance and monitoring. The absence of adequate frontline staff creates a vulnerable environment, thereby increasing the likelihood of poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and other exploitative activities,” the petitioner argued.

In response, in its order dated April 2, the NGT stayed the order noting that “prima facie the averments made in the application raise substantial questions relating to [the] environment”. The Bench — comprising Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Ishwar Singh — issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, Special Chief Secretary to Government of Assam, and the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, calling for compliance in this matter.

Per the Indian Express, the NGT also said the that the order should be stayed as otherwise it would “set a bad precedent” and that the move to deploy forest personnel in the Assam elections itself was “bad in law”.

The bench has now listed the matter to be heard on April 6, seeking the respective authorities to respond on this matter. .

On March 30, The Wire had reported about the move to deploy forest personnel for the Assam elections, and how conservationists and former civil servants had written to officials in the state government urging that the order be revoked immediately. On March 31, 40 former civil servants wrote again to the Chief Secretary of Assam asking that the order be revoked.

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