Third extension of former Assam PCCF challenged; Gauhati High Court issues notice

The Gauhati High Court has issued notice to the Assam government based on a petition challenging the third extension of a former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) as Special Chief Secretary (Forests) after his retirement in February 2024.Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury issued the notice on Friday (September 11, 2026).Eastern Assam-based conservationist Rohit Choudhury had filed the petition, arguing that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change found lapses when M.K. Yadava was Assam’s PCCF.The petitioner said the lapses included diverting forest land for non-forest use without the Central government’s approval, for which the State government was asked to proceed against him under Sections 3A and 3B of the Van Sanrakshan Adhiniyam 1980.“This Public Interest Litigation is directed against the post-retirement engagement of respondent No. 3 (Mr Yadava), a retired Indian Forest Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, as Special Chief Secretary (Forest) in the Department of Environment and Forest with full financial and administrative powers,” the court notice said.It further said that Mr Yadava’s post-retirement engagement was “notwithstanding the fact that the Office Memorandum of 2018 allows contractual engagement of retired Government officers only in rare and exceptional circumstances”.Underlining the “requirement of assessment of satisfactory performance for any continuation or re-engagement”, the court sought a response to the petition by October 15.Advocates Abir Phukan and P. Sharma represented the petitioner. Published - September 13, 2026 12:53 pm IST