Minister Indrakaran Reddy paying tributes to the Forest Martyrs' at Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad

This year the “Forest Martyrs Day” is observed on 11^th September at Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad to pay homage to all the brave Forest staff who has laid down their lives at a part of duty for protecting of Forest Wealth and Wildlife in the State of Telangana.  Commencement of program from pylon, the Forest Minister Indrakaran Reddy paid tributes and recalled the sacrifices made by the Forest Martyrs.  Since 1984, in the state of Telangana (21) officers of various cadres have sacrificed their lives for protection of forests and wildlife.  Forest Officers and staff are disbursing their best efforts for protection of forest wealth.   Though this menace pandemic situation officers and staff bravely performing their duties is excellent.  While discharging duties those were tested positive and end up lives is really disappointed.  

 

During the year 2019-20 Forest staff has booked (6721) No. of  OR cases worth of Rs. 5.64 Crores of Timber and collected Compounding Fee of Rs.10.61 Crores apart from seizing (1564) Nos. of vehicles. In addition  (2585) Nos. of  UDOR cases have been registered worth of Rs.3.42 Crores of timber value and transported to the Government Timber Depots and 668 encroachment cases also booked.   

  

Various initiatives have been taken for protection of Forest Wealth in the State with the active participation of the people as follows:-

-      (146Nos.) Base camps with (5 Nos.) local tribal/non-tribal watchers in each camp (58 Nos) Forest Check posts are for curbing smuggling activity.   Vehicles is Mobility is provided to enter interior of forests as per the cadres: Four wheelers  to Range Officers and above cadres and two wheelers from beat officers upto Deputy Range Officers:

 

Further strengthening of posts Recruitment Forest Range Officers ( 67 Nos ) and Forest Section Officers ( 90 Nos),  and Forest Beat Officers (1857 Nos) is going on to augment the existing manpower at ground level.  To curb the smuggling activities rigorously in the state, the provisions of PD Act are amended to include Forest offender during 2017. So far, (5) cases were booked with support of Police officials.

 

He called on everyone to involve themselves to protect the forest resources to ourselves and future generations. Forest department personnel were asked to utilize the technology and protect the forest resources along with self-defense. Celebrating the commemoration day of the forest martyrs is commendable as a mark of sacrifice for those who lost their lives in the line of duty and to carry forward their services for further movements. 

 

Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and salute all those Martyrs who laid their lives to make a better future for the coming generations

 

In the programme;  Smt. Santhi kumari, Special CS (EFS&T); Smt. R. Sobha, PCCF(Head of Forest Force)  Forest Development Corporation VC and MD Raghuveer, R. Hemant Kumar, Deputy Director General of Forests (South Zone, Chennai) PCCFs RM Dobriel, Lokesh Jaiswal, Additional PCCFs Swargam Srinivas, Chandrasekhar Reddy, Pargaein, Zoo Park Director Kukreti, Zoo Park Curator, four IFS trainees from the 2018 batch, Other officers and staff were participated.