DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Forest Department is once again engulfed in controversy over the appointment to its top post, as a decision by the state government to bypass seniority rules has prompted the most senior officer to challenge the appointment in the High Court.

In an unprecedented move, the state government appointed Ranjan Kumar Mishra as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), the chief of the entire department, overruling the claims of his senior colleague, BP Gupta.

Gupta has approached the Nainital High Court, challenging the government’s decision to ignore established seniority norms.

"This move sets a dangerous precedent," commented an insider familiar with the department's internal workings, speaking on condition of anonymity. "When a junior officer is placed above a senior colleague in a critical administrative post, it inevitably leads to questions of fairness and administrative propriety."

The situation is further complicated because Gupta currently holds the charge of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration), a role that falls directly under the HoFF. This means Gupta would now have to report to his junior.

While there were discussions during the Civil Service Board meeting about potentially shifting Gupta to a specialised role outside the core department, Biodiversity, an order to this effect has already been issued.

This marks the first time the state government has explicitly disregarded seniority when selecting the head of the Forest Department. While there was a previous instance where Rajiv Bhartari was briefly appointed HoFF before being replaced by his junior, Vinod Kumar, the current situation is seen as the clearest instance of seniority being overlooked for the department's apex position.