Hundreds of roaring
‘Motorbike tigers’ are entering into the forests to chase the wood smugglers
away from the forests.
The state government is
giving 1,993 motor bikes with tiger symbol on its front to the field level
staff that is Deputy FRO, FSO and Beat officers to keep the vigil on the
illegal felling of trees and to control wood smuggling in the state. Telangana
government is taking steps to strengthen the forest department.
The motor bikes also
have forest department emblem which reads ‘Telangana State Forest’ and ‘Save
Forests and Save Nation’ on the engine side.
Scorpio and Innova to the
DFOs and Mahindra Thar vehicles to FRO in the forest department will be provided
too. Women staffer will be provided with Scootys.
However, no thought has
been given by the government on supplying weapons to the forest staff in view
of the increased Maoists movements in north Telangana.
Efforts are being made,
however, to extend all possible help to the families of forest staff attacked
and killed by the wood smugglers and cases have been registered under PD Act
against the wood smugglers.
Minister for forest and
environment Jogu Ramanna said that state government has sanctioned Rs 30 crore
to purchase bikes, vehicles. He added that the state government will pay Rs
1,500 towards maintenance of each bike.
He said the move at improving
vigilance in the forest areas and national highways and state roads to thwart wood
smuggling and illegal felling of trees.
He elaborated that the
state government has adopted a adopted multi- pronged strategy including mass
plantation of saplings under Haritha Haram and steps to protect the existing
forest by controlling the wood smuggling to enhance the forest area in the
state.
To bolster confidence
and efficiency of forest officials and field level staff involved in
controlling wood smuggling, the state is equipping then with vehicles and
advanced communication gadgets.
After police
department, state government is now taking steps to strengthen the forest
department by providing the vehicles to staff of all cadres and advance
communication gadgets to control the wood smuggling and indiscriminate felling
of trees in order to improve the forest cover.
The move was initiated
after finding difficulty faced by field level staff and officials from the wood
smugglers.
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