A senior Indian Forest Service officer has resigned from Madhya Pradesh’s forest department after 12 years of service, triggering questions about administrative practices and internal conflicts within the state’s wildlife bureaucracy.
Vipin Patel, a 2013-batch IFS officer currently serving as Divisional Forest Officer (Working Plan) in Jabalpur, submitted his resignation on Tuesday evening. He shared the decision on the IFS Association’s WhatsApp group, thanking colleagues for their support during his postings in Rewa, Damoh, Satna, and Anuppur.
Sources within the department say Patel faced sustained administrative pressure from a senior officer over the past year. Forest Force Chief VN Ambade has asked the concerned Chief Conservator of Forests to speak with Patel to determine the actual reasons behind his decision.
The trouble appears to have started during Patel’s tenure as DFO in Anuppur. According to departmental sources, he revoked permission for installing a veneer machine, citing violations of forest regulations. The decision led to disagreements with Manoj Agarwal, who was then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Conservation) and currently heads CAMPA and Working Plan divisions.
Former PCCF Bibash Thakur stated that such permission could not be granted under the Forest Act and existing rules. Despite this, the controversy continued and administrative pressure on Patel persisted.
Senior IFS officers have called the resignation both hasty and unfortunate. Some have demanded introspection at higher levels of the department.
The case is not isolated. Sources say another IFS officer is also considering resignation due to what they describe as administrative chaos, discrimination in transfers and postings, and neglect of working plan duties. This officer completed the Ujjain-Shajapur Working Plan, but the final hearing has not been held. Other officers have been given circle charge without following proper procedures.
The resignations and discontent point to deeper problems in how Madhya Pradesh’s forest department manages its officers and resolves internal disputes.
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