Assam goes to polls on April 9 with a single phase of voting and it is said to be the first time that forest personnel are being requisitioned for polling duty. File photo for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: The Hindu
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stayed the Assam government’s order governing the deployment of around 1,600 personnel of the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duties, noting that the move raises serious environmental concerns.
Invoking the precautionary principle, the tribunal directed the state government to “desist from violating the provisions” of environmental laws and directed that “the operation of the impugned order… be stayed till further orders”.
In its April 2 order, the Eastern Zone Bench said the plea “raises fundamental environmental issues”, particularly in relation to laws governing the protection of biological diversity. The tribunal issued a notice to the respondents and fixed the date of April 6 for the next hearing.
Assam goes to polls on April 9 with a single phase of voting and it is said to be the first time that forest personnel are being requisitioned for polling duty.
The petition, filed before the NGT by Delhi-based advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, challenged the Assam government’s March 19 directive requiring AFPF personnel to assist the police in connection with the assembly elections. According to the plea, such diversion “seriously threatens the protection and conservation of forests, wildlife and ecological systems in the State of Assam”.
The complainant highlighted the environmental risks and argued that the “widespread diversion” of forest personnel “significantly increases the risk of illegal activities, especially poaching”. The order notes that forests in Assam “require constant vigilance and monitoring” and that “absence of adequate frontline personnel creates a vulnerable environment”.
The tribunal also examined the statutory obligations under the Biodiversity Act 2002. It noted the state’s duty to ensure the “conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity”, including the “identification and monitoring of biodiversity-rich areas”. The lawsuit claimed that reassigning staff to non-protection duties was against the “letter and spirit” of the law.
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The NGT further took cognizance of the Supreme Court’s direction that “forest personnel as well as forest vehicles shall not be requisitioned for election purposes”, strengthening the petitioner’s contention that the order in Assam is legally unsustainable.
A group of former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers along with conservationists have raised “serious concerns” about the Assam ordinance in a plea to the state government as well as the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, The Hindu reported on April 1.
Published – 04 Apr 2026 19:21 IST
