SC Criticizes Appointment of New Director to Rajaji National Park | 05 Sep 2024

The Supreme Court recently criticized the Uttarakhand Chief Minister for the appointment of a forest officer (IFS) as the Director of Rajaji National Park.

Key Points

Appointment Dispute: Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s decision to appoint IFS officer as director of Rajaji National Park has sparked controversy due to his ongoing investigations by the CBI and ED for alleged illegal activities.
Bypassing Officials: Allegations suggest that CM bypassed objections from the Forest Minister and Chief Secretary, who had recommended reconsideration of the appointment due to the officer’s involvement in previous legal issues.
Supreme Court Observations: Emphasized that such decisions should not be made unilaterally.
- The Court highlighted the importance of the public trust doctrine, stressing that the government's role is to protect natural resources responsibly, which was compromised in this case.

Location: Haridwar (Uttarakhand), along the foothills of the Shivalik range, spans 820 square kilometres.
Background: Three sanctuaries in the Uttarakhand i.e. Rajaji, Motichur and Chila were amalgamated into a large protected area and named Rajaji National Park in the year 1983 after the famous freedom fighter C. Rajgopalachari; popularly known as “Rajaji”.
Features:
- This area is the North Western Limit of habitat of Asian elephants.
- Forest types include sal forests, riverine forests, broad–leaved mixed forests, scrubland and grassy.
- It possesses as many as 23 species of mammals and 315 bird species such as elephants, tigers, leopards, deers and ghorals, etc.
- It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2015.
- It is home to the Van Gujjars in the winters.