Bengal Forest Department Hiring Process Changed To State Police Recruitment Board

The West Bengal government has decided in principle to conduct future recruitment for the state forest department, including posts of forest guards and Bana Sahayaks (Forest Assistants), through the State Police Recruitment Board. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the decision on Tuesday, saying the move is aimed at ensuring a transparent and corruption-free hiring process.

Speaking to media persons during the inauguration of ‘Aranya Saptaha’ (Forest Week) in West Bengal, which will continue until July 20, the Chief Minister said the recruitment system would be shifted to the police recruitment board to bring greater accountability and fairness. The government believes that using an independent recruitment mechanism will help prevent irregularities in appointments.

The decision comes after past allegations of irregularities in forest department recruitment during the previous Trinamool Congress-led government. Concerns were particularly raised regarding the appointment of Bana Sahayaks, who work as contractual and temporary forest workers involved in activities such as forest patrolling, plantation drives and wildlife protection.

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A senior forest department official said bringing recruitment under the State Police Recruitment Board would create a structured process and reduce the possibility of manipulation. The official added that many forest employees work under challenging conditions and face shortages of manpower, equipment and infrastructure while carrying out their duties.

Chief Minister Adhikari said the forest department requires urgent attention due to vacancies and operational challenges. He directed Forest Minister Manoj Oraon to prepare and submit details of vacant positions and infrastructure requirements to the Chief Secretary so that steps can be taken to address the shortages at the earliest.

During the Forest Week inauguration programme, Adhikari also highlighted the government’s focus on balancing industrial growth with environmental protection. He said future project approvals would strictly follow existing regulations requiring two-thirds of the project area to be reserved for essential infrastructure development, while one-third should be allocated for plantation and environmental conservation efforts.

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