Karnataka: CAT lifts DFO’s suspension due to disagreement with MLA

The decision to remove IFS official Shivanand Naikawadi from his position as Deputy Conservator of Forests (DFO), Ghataprabha Division in Gokak, has been delayed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).

“The bench, consisting of Administrative Member Rakesh Kumar Gupta and Judicial Member Justice S Sujatha, stayed the operation of the government order dated February 21, 2024, issued by the Chief Secretary till the next date of hearing,” the court said in a notice to the state government. In his application, Shivanand said that a contractor had built an unauthorized structure in Raibag Reserved Forest’s Sy. No. 588B to house a social range forest office. The range forest officer had received a complaint about this building in January 2023.

By contacting influential people, the contractor applied pressure on Shivanand, who was also receiving calls from other people pleading with him to approve the unauthorized building. Numerous calls came from a few dishonest people posing as Raibag MLA Duryodhana Aihole. They threatened him with serious repercussions.Shivanand has had enough of these calls. When he received a call again on January 8, 2024, he retaliated by sharply challenging the caller’s credentials, believing that it was another impersonation.

The MLA was the one who answered the phone. Shivanand said he didn’t want to offend or threaten the MLA, but it seems the MLA videotaped the exchange on his phone and shared it on electronic and social media platforms in an attempt to damage Shivanand’s reputation. Shivanand responded to a show-cause notice from the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests after the MLA’s protest to the chief minister.

Shivanand was also sent a show-cause notice by the chief secretary, who claimed that Shivanand had filmed the discussion and posted it on social media. He described the events leading up to the incident and informed the chief secretary that his phone did not have a recording option. But he said he was suspended without thinking about it.