2 min readChandigarhApr 2, 2026 08:46 PM IST
A jurisdictional tussle between Haryana’s two senior-most Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers over the inquiry into illegal felling of khair trees in protected areas has culminated in both being removed from their posts. The probe will now be carried out by a new committee.
On March 17, Vineet Kumar Garg, a 1989-batch officer who was serving as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF), constituted a panel headed by IFS officer R Anand to assess wildlife habitat degradation, including the illegal felling of khair trees in Kalesar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.
The committee was tasked with submitting its report within 15 days. Two days later, however, Vivek Saxena, a 1991-batch officer serving as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, quashed Garg’s order on jurisdictional grounds and formed a fresh inquiry committee under IFS officer Subhash Chander, directing it to probe the felling in Kalesar National Park, Yamunanagar, and report within 15 days.
Amid the conflict, the state government removed both Garg and Saxena from their posts on March 26 and added that their new postings will be announced later. The charge of Head of Forest Force was handed over to 1991-batch officer KC Meena, while the role of Chief Wildlife Warden was given to 1993-batch officer Navdeep Singh Hooda.
Hooda subsequently expanded the committee formed by Saxena, adding six more officers, including three from the IFS. He clarified that the assessment would begin in Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary, and only thereafter would a decision be taken on whether Kalesar National Park also required inspection.
The controversy stems from the illegal felling and theft of more than 1,000 khair trees (Acacia catechu) in Asarewali Protected Forest, part of a wildlife sanctuary in Panchkula district. The incident has already led to the suspension of four forest officials, including two state forest service officers, while police have arrested several individuals, among them a forest department staffer.
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