Forest staff in Telangana seek arms and forest stations amid rising attacks

Despite rising attacks on forest personnel in Telangana, their long-pending demand for arms and the creation of forest stations remains unfulfilled. Officials cite past cases, including a brutal killing, and appeal for better protection measures and public awareness.

Hyderabad: The demand of the Forest department personnel for providing them arms and setting up forest stations remains a distant dream despite increasing attacks on them in the State.

On July 19, locals attacked forest staff at Keshavapuram village in Adilabad, when they arrived to take up plantation drive. Despite local policemen accompanying them to the village, the forest staff sustained injuries.

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This is not an isolated incident. Such cases have been reported across the State since the last few years. In November 2022, A Forest Range Officer Ch Srinivas Rao was brutally killed by Gutti Koya tribals in Kothagudem over forest jurisdiction issue.

Similarly, there have been cases of Forest Beat Officers being attacked by locals, especially tribals and others, at different places in the State.

Worried over the increasing incidents, the State Forest Service Officers Association (SFSOA) had submitted a representation to the department in the past, appealing to sanction arms and ammunition.

This apart, they also wanted setting up of forest stations at the Divisional Level and provision of pistols to be sanctioned for Forest Range Officers (FRO) rank and above and rifles to field staff for self-protection.

Citing the practices being adopted in Kerala and Maharashtra, the forest officers wanted the department to establish 18 forest stations especially at the Division Level.

Admitting the issue, senior officials in the department said the proposal was pending with the State government. “We are hoping that the government is actively considering the proposal,” Chief Wildlife Warden Elusing Meru said.

In the undivided Andhra Pradesh, the forest staff too was provided with arms and ammunition. After a few cases of naxals snatching away weapons from forest staff, the government wanted the department to surrender the weapons. Since then the forest staff have been carrying sticks for their protection.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests C Suvarna said Kerala and Maharashtra States were still providing weapons to their staff considering cases of poaching and extremist actions.

In Telangana, these issues were not rampant and were very sporadic. However, there have been cases of forest staff being attacked by villagers in different issues, which was unfortunate, she said.

“Even if the forest staff members carry weapons, they cannot use them easily. In Adilabad, police had accompanied our staff with weapons but they too could not use the weapons as there are rules,” Suvarna said.

No officer would want to use a weapon on people, particularly farmers. Creating awareness among people against attacking forest staff was essential, she added.