The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Guwahati Bench, has quashed the appointment of Indian Forest Service officer Dr. Vinay Gupta as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Wildlife, and ordered that senior officer K.S.P.V. Pavan Kumar be promoted to the post with retrospective effect from January 1, 2024. The Tribunal held that Pavan Kumar, a 1992-batch IFS officer of the Assam‑Meghalaya cadre, was unlawfully superseded by Dr. Gupta, who belongs to the 1993 batch.
A Bench comprising Member (Judicial) Rajinder Singh Dogra and Member (Administrative) Sanjiv Kumar said the records showed the authority had promoted Dr. Gupta by notification dated November 26, 2024 and issued an order on November 27, 2024 denying promotion to Pavan Kumar. “From the perusal of record, it is noted that the applicant is an officer of the 1992 batch… whereas private respondent Dr. Vinay Gupta is an IFS officer of the 1993 batch… the decision is not sustainable,” the Tribunal observed and subsequently quashed both the November 26 and November 27, 2024 orders.
The dispute dates back to the Joint Cadre Authority’s shortlist of August 29, 2023, which included three officers for the PCCF (Wildlife) post — R.P. Singh (1991 batch), K.S.P.V. Pavan Kumar (1992 batch) and Dr. Vinay Gupta (1993 batch). R.P. Singh was appointed on December 31, 2023. After being overlooked for subsequent consideration, Pavan Kumar filed a petition with the CAT in February 2024, alleging unjustified supersession; the Tribunal asked the government to explain the bypass.
During the case, the Assam government appointed Dr. Vinay Gupta as PCCF (Wildlife) on November 26, 2024. The appointment followed an FIR registered by the Anti‑Corruption Branch in March 2024 against certain forest officials, including Pavan Kumar. Pavan Kumar’s counsel told the Tribunal the pending FIR was being used to stall his promotion. The CAT had already noted in an order dated May 28, 2024 that a promotion could not be withheld solely because of a pending corruption investigation in the absence of a chargesheet.
In its latest order, the Tribunal reiterated that the government’s action could not withstand judicial scrutiny and directed authorities to grant Pavan Kumar the promotion due to him, effectively nullifying Dr. Gupta’s elevation. “The notification dated 26.11.2024 as well as the order dated 27.11.2024 are quashed and set aside,” the Bench ruled.
The Tribunal also imposed a cost of Rs. 5,000 on Special Chief Secretary, Forest Department, M.K. Yadav, citing repeated delays in filing responses, while granting the department a final opportunity to submit its reply. Pavan Kumar is currently serving as Additional PCCF (Afforestation), and Dr. Vinay Gupta has been functioning as PCCF (Wildlife), overseeing wildlife conservation programmes and field operations across Assam. The Assam government has not yet issued an official response to the Tribunal’s order, which could have notable administrative implications for the state’s forest bureaucracy.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/assam/cat-sets-aside-vinay-guptas-pccf-wildlife-appointment-orders-promotion-of-senior-ifs-officer-pavan-kumar
Category: Assam
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Publish Date: 2026-06-08 22:06:00
