Chhattisgarh HC Quashes Forest Department Employee’s Attachment To Timber Depot, Citing State Ban On Government Staff Attachments.

The petitioner, an Assistant Grade-III appointed in 2022, challenged the Divisional Forest Officer’s order dated 21 October 2026 attaching him to the Timber Depot, Pithora.

He contended that the order contravened the State Government’s circular dated 4 June 2001, which prohibited attachment of Government employees, and had been made without notice.

The State submitted that the attachment was made in response to complaints and for administrative efficiency.

The petitioner sought quashing of the attachment order.

The State Government’s circular dated 4 June 2001 imposed a complete ban on attachment of Government employees; an attachment order contrary to that instruction cannot be sustained.

Where an employee’s movement is considered necessary because of alleged misconduct, the authorities may instead order a transfer or take other action permitted by law and applicable State policy.

The Court found that, despite the asserted concerns about negligence and administrative exigency, the impugned order was in substance an order of attachment.

Because the circular prohibited such orders, the stated reasons did not make this attachment lawful.

The authorities remained free to consider a transfer or other legally permissible action.

It quashed the order and allowed the petition, while preserving the State’s liberty to take appropriate action in accordance with law if administrative exigency arose in future.