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      YEAR        REPORTING        REVIEWING          ACCEPTING
                  AUTHORITY        AUTHORITY          AUTHORITY

2002-03                CCF             PCCF         PRINCIPAL
                                                    SECRETARY
1.4.03       to         ---                         COMMISSIONER
30.7.03                                             & SECRETARY
23.9.03      to        CF               CCF         ---
31.3.04
1.4.04       to        CF               CCF         ---
30.9.04
30.9.04      to        CF               CCF         PCCF
31.3.05
1.4.05       to        CCF             PCCF         COMMISSIONER
17.8.05                                             & SECRETARY
18.8.05      to        CF               CCF         ---
31.3.06
2006-07                CF               CCF         PCCF
                                                                      Page 27

43. The petitioner, as has been pointed out, is presently serving as Divisional Forest Officer (in short, 'DFO') and he, therefore, belongs to the cadre of Deputy Conservator of Forest (in short, 'DCF'). The immediate superior of a DCF is the Conservator of Forests (in short, 'CF') and, as such, only CF can initiate confidential reports of a DCF. Similarly, the immediate superior of CF is the Chief Conservator of Forest (in short, 'CCF') and the immediate superior of CCF is the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (in short, 'PCCF'). Accordingly, only CCF and PCCF can act as the Reviewing and Accepting authority, respectively, in respect of a DCF.

45. In support of his contention that the ACR(s), in respect of a DFO can only be written by the CF, reviewed and accepted by CCF and PCCF, respectively, Mr. Nath has also placed reliance on the case of T N Godavarman vs. Union of India, reported in (2007) 15 SCC 273. The relevant observations, made by the Supreme Court, in T N Godavarman (supra), read as follows:

"22. For writing of the confidential reports, the Central Government has, under Section 3 of the All India Services Act, 1951, framed All India Services (Confidential Rolls) Rules, 1970. According to Rule 2(e), the "reporting authority" is defined as follows:

(Emphasis is added)

46. Mr. S. Sharma, learned counsel for the private respondent, has contended that the petitioner's ACR(s) for the period 2003-2004 was reviewed by PCCF and accepted by the Principal Secretary, because during the relevant period, the petitioner was in the Wild Life Wing of the Department; whereas the ACR, pertaining to the period from 30.09.2004 to 31.03.2005, was reviewed by CCF and accepted by PCCF, because during the period, in question, the petitioner had been working in the Research and Education Wing of the Department.