Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched an online randomisation system for the transfer of forest department employees on October 23, moving 2,137 personnel in the first phase of the initiative aimed at bringing greater transparency to postings in the state’s forest service.
The Employee Transfer Randomisation System (ETRS) portal has been introduced for staff of the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to ensure transparency in transfers and improve administrative efficiency, Sarma said. He urged other government departments to adopt similar mechanisms to make their own transfer processes more transparent.
In the first phase, the portal facilitated the transfer of deputy rangers, foresters, forest guards, fixed-pay workers and game watchers who had completed three years at their current places of posting.
Certain categories of employees have been exempted under the applicable rules. These include personnel aged 58 years and above, unless they have sought a transfer voluntarily, and employees whose spouses or children suffer from serious medical conditions such as cancer, paralysis, cerebral palsy, liver cirrhosis or ailments requiring dialysis. Staff covered by pregnancy-related considerations, those yet to complete three years at their current postings, wildlife wing personnel whose specialised expertise is considered essential, and employees under suspension have also been exempted.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister said the state government was continuing eviction drives to clear encroachments from forest land, claiming that more than 600 hectares had recently been freed. Emphasising the need to restore the cleared areas, he called for a database of encroached forest land and immediate afforestation to expand the state’s green cover.
Sarma also claimed that rhino poaching had been eliminated in Assam and urged the forest department to give equal priority to protecting other wildlife species.
Turning to the department’s finances, the Chief Minister asked officials to improve revenue collection and plug loopholes leading to losses. He said growing demand for stone and sand had fuelled illegal trade, depriving the department of revenue. To address the issue, he stressed the need to bring illegally operating stone quarries and sand-mining sites into the legal framework in accordance with applicable regulations.
Highlighting the role of technology in forest conservation, Sarma called for continuous monitoring of forest areas through satellite imagery to detect encroachment at an early stage.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-transfers-2137-forest-department-employees-through-online-randomisation-system-1466634-2026-10-23?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-10-23 20:25:00
