Retired Civil Servants Urge Assam To Roll Back AFPF Poll Duty Order, Flag Threat To Wildlife Protection

Guwahati: A group of 40 retired civil servants has urged the Assam government to withdraw its decision to deploy personnel of the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duties, citing violation of established norms and concerns over wildlife protection.

In an open letter to Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) — a non-partisan body comprising former IAS, IPS, IFS and other Central Services officers — expressed “serious concern” over the reported move to deploy around 1,600 AFPF personnel for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Describing the decision as a departure from laid-down procedures, the group said Election Commission guidelines clearly bar the deployment of territorial forest staff for poll-related duties. “These instructions are meant to ensure that critical forest protection and ecological functions are not compromised during elections,” the letter noted.

The CCG warned that diverting such a large number of forest personnel could weaken on-ground protection, particularly in a state like Assam which is home to rare and endangered species. It highlighted risks to wildlife, including the one-horned rhinoceros, hoolock gibbon, golden langur and pygmy hog, if trained forest guards are taken away from their primary duties.

The group pointed out that protected areas such as Kaziranga National Park require constant vigilance to prevent poaching and encroachment. “Any dilution in field presence at this stage could leave vulnerable species exposed to organised wildlife crime,” it cautioned.

The letter also referred to a 2024 Supreme Court order which recognised the specialised nature of forest duties and exempted forest personnel and vehicles from election deployment. Any move contrary to this, it said, could invite judicial scrutiny.

Also Watch:

Urging immediate intervention, the CCG asked the Chief Secretary to revoke the order and ensure strict adherence to Election Commission norms and court directives. “Forest personnel must be allowed to continue their core responsibility of protecting the state’s ecological assets,” the group stated.

The association said it expects prompt corrective action in the larger interest of safeguarding Assam’s forests, wildlife and ecological security