Rural Development department officials want to know rationale behind appointment of IFS, IAS officers as project directors
Officials from the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department are protesting the appointment of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers to project director roles, citing a lack of relevant public-facing experience. The department staff argue that these appointments hinder their own career progression and disrupt the effective implementation of rural welfare schemes.
Why it matters
This conflict highlights internal bureaucratic tensions regarding administrative appointments and the potential impact of cross-departmental staffing on the delivery of essential public services in rural India.
Officers of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department have raised objections to the appointment of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers as project directors, District Rural Development Agency in the rank of Additional Collector (Development). Such officers have been appointed in Kanniyakumari and Theni districts based on an order issued in July.
The department is responsible to take development and welfare schemes of the government to rural areas. It creates basic facilities, including construction of bridges, roads; provides drinking water, toilets and housing; and implements the VB-G RAM-G Scheme.
“We are also involved in election work, census, grievance redressal and gram sabha. All this requires a lot of interaction with the public. The IFS officers, however, are not trained for such work. They have expertise in dealing with people living in and around forests and wildlife,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
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