Vinay Kumar Appointed New Head of Telangana Forest Department

The state government of Telangana on Friday announced that Vinay Kumar will head the state forest department as the new Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), operating from the state capital of Hyderabad.

Vinay Kumar, an Indian Forest Service officer belonging to the 1992 batch, was officially given full additional charge of the top administrative post in the department on Friday. He currently serves as the chief wildlife warden of the state.

Kumar will officially take over the responsibilities of the PCCF (HoFF) from Dr. C. Suvarna, who is scheduled to superannuate and retire from her service on June 30. This transition is designed to ensure complete administrative and leadership continuity within the department upon her retirement.

According to the state government, Kumar is expected to receive formal orders placing him as the full-time Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) in due course.

The outgoing chief, Dr. Suvarna, had previously taken charge as the PCCF (HoFF) on July 11, 2025. Before taking full charge of the office, she had held the full additional charge of the position starting from May 5, 2025. Her appointment to the top role followed the retirement of her predecessor in the department, R.M. Dobriyal.

Dr. Suvarna was notable for being the second woman Indian Forest Service officer to head the Telangana forest department. She followed in the footsteps of R. Shobha, who was the first woman officer to lead the state's forest department. Shobha had taken charge of the department in 2019 and subsequently retired in 2022.

The latest appointment marks another major leadership transition for the state's forest department as Kumar prepares to take over the mantle.