The Highest Court opined that Chief Ministers are not Kings and cannot do whatever they want. They found fault with CM Dhami for appointing an officer opposed by other officers in particular.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s move to appoint a controversial IFS officer as the director of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve,disregarding the opinions of the state’s forest minister and others,has drawn strong reprimand from the Supreme Court. The bench of Justices BR Gavai, PK Mishra, and KV Viswanathan said heads of governments cannot be expected to be “old days’ kings” and “we are not in a feudal era.”
The state government, however, told the bench that the appointment order was withdrawn on September 3. You cannot sacrifice a good officer against whom there is nothing,” Mr Nadkarni had argued. “If there is nothing, then why are you holding departmental proceedings against him?” the court asked. Unless there is some prima facie material, departmental proceedings are not initiated against anyone, the judges added.
Pointing out that the noting had said the officer should not be posted at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, the court said the chief minister “just ignores it”.
Senior officers severely discouraged the appointment of Indian Forest Service officer Rahul, a former director of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, as the director of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
