HC upholds KAT order

BANGALORE: The High Court on Friday upheld the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal’s (KAT) order which directed the State Government to redo the selection of head of forest force as the selection committee had not taken seniority into consideration while selecting the candidate for the post.The Division Bench consisting of Justice K L Manjunath and Justice Kempanna observed that there was no reason to interfere with the KAT’s order.Indu B Srivastava, the present head of the forest force and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests had filed an appeal against the KAT’s order which quashed his selection for the post.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Managing Director of Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation Avani Kumar had filed a petition challenging the appointment of Srivastava as the head of the forest force in the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal.Kumar had contended that the former Principal Chief Conservator of Forest S Nagaraj, who had differences with him, was present in the selection committee though he was not eligible and Nagaraj had influenced the committee to select Srivastava ahead of him though he was more experienced and equally competent.