Guwahati: Assam The Forest Department is facing acute shortage of staff in many protected areas. There is a shortage of more than 450 frontline workers in the two major national parks.
Officials told TOI that at present over 160 posts of frontline staff are vacant in western Assam. Manas National Park, which is home to tigers, while the famous Kaziranga National Park There are around 300 vacancies. Conservationists pointed out that manpower shortages have affected both forest development and administration in most areas which can damage wildlife and forest protection.
“There is a shortage of staff in the departments. But we are keeping Manas and Kaziranga in better condition than other protected areas,” said the senior forest official. Satyendra Singh | Told TOI.
The officials are pinning hope on the committee constituted to appoint one lakh youth as promised in the elections. Officials said 3,000 vacancies for the posts of forest watchmen, guards, foresters and other frontline employees across the state are waiting to be filled through direct recruitment.
The vacancies in Wildlife Divisions are one ACF each in Eastern Assam and Western Assam, four Forest Rangers in Biswanath, one Forest Ranger in Guwahati, four Forest Rangers in Manas and one Forest Ranger in Bura Chapori.
Activists said paucity of manpower has hindered monitoring of animal movement in important wildlife habitat protected areas.
“It is the duty of the Chief Wildlife Warden to take up the serious issues of wildlife with the government, however the wildlife wing of the Assam Forest Department is least concerned about the protection of wildlife areas. Powerful politicians have built on the Kanchanjuri Animal Corridor KNP and Wildlife The wing, along with the park authority, has looked the other way,” said RTI and environmental activist Rohit Choudhary.
The Chief Minister of Assam announced an increase in the ration allowance for the frontline workers from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 in the last floods and this was possible only due to the personal intervention of the Chief Minister in the last meeting held at Kaziranga on May 27, 2021. .
“The most unfortunate thing is that the Conservator of Forests was called back from Kaziranga to Aranya Bhawan within 10 days of his posting in Kaziranga after the demand for more staff in KNP was placed before the Chief Minister,” Chowdhury said.
Officials told TOI that at present over 160 posts of frontline staff are vacant in western Assam. Manas National Park, which is home to tigers, while the famous Kaziranga National Park There are around 300 vacancies. Conservationists pointed out that manpower shortages have affected both forest development and administration in most areas which can damage wildlife and forest protection.
“There is a shortage of staff in the departments. But we are keeping Manas and Kaziranga in better condition than other protected areas,” said the senior forest official. Satyendra Singh | Told TOI.
The officials are pinning hope on the committee constituted to appoint one lakh youth as promised in the elections. Officials said 3,000 vacancies for the posts of forest watchmen, guards, foresters and other frontline employees across the state are waiting to be filled through direct recruitment.
The vacancies in Wildlife Divisions are one ACF each in Eastern Assam and Western Assam, four Forest Rangers in Biswanath, one Forest Ranger in Guwahati, four Forest Rangers in Manas and one Forest Ranger in Bura Chapori.
Activists said paucity of manpower has hindered monitoring of animal movement in important wildlife habitat protected areas.
“It is the duty of the Chief Wildlife Warden to take up the serious issues of wildlife with the government, however the wildlife wing of the Assam Forest Department is least concerned about the protection of wildlife areas. Powerful politicians have built on the Kanchanjuri Animal Corridor KNP and Wildlife The wing, along with the park authority, has looked the other way,” said RTI and environmental activist Rohit Choudhary.
The Chief Minister of Assam announced an increase in the ration allowance for the frontline workers from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 in the last floods and this was possible only due to the personal intervention of the Chief Minister in the last meeting held at Kaziranga on May 27, 2021. .
“The most unfortunate thing is that the Conservator of Forests was called back from Kaziranga to Aranya Bhawan within 10 days of his posting in Kaziranga after the demand for more staff in KNP was placed before the Chief Minister,” Chowdhury said.
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