Assam order seeking forest protection force for poll duty full of illegality: NGT, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruled that the Assam government's order to deploy 1,600 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duty was illegal.
• The NGT cited violations of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the Assam Forest Protection Force Act, 1986.
• The order was passed by a two-member bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Ishwar Singh.
• The NGT has given the Assam government four weeks to respond to the deployment of AFPF members for other purposes.

Detailed Insights:

• The petition argued that diverting AFPF personnel from forest protection duties increases the risk of illegal activities like poaching.
• The NGT stated that even though AFPF members are not "forest officers," they fall under the definition of "forest staff" and are subject to Supreme Court restrictions on election duty deployment.
• The AFPF was established to protect Assam's forests, forest produce, and wildlife, and deploying them elsewhere defeats this purpose.
• The Assam government's order on March 19 directed approximately 1,600 AFPF personnel to report for election duty, which the NGT has now stayed.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Green Tribunal (NGT): A specialized body that handles environmental disputes.
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002: Indian legislation for the preservation of biological diversity.
• Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF): A force constituted for the protection and security of forests, forest produce, and wildlife in Assam.