Telangana: Forest staff’s plea for weapons goes unheard

The demand had escalated after the brutal killing of Chandrugonda Forest Range Officer Ch Srinivas Rao by Gutti Koya tribals in Kothagudem in November 2022.

Hyderabad: Despite increasing attacks on forest staff and their requests to sanction arms for self-protection and to set up forest stations, the State government is yet to respond.

Forest staffers have for long been demanding arms and ammunition for self-protection. The demand had escalated after the brutal killing of Chandrugonda Forest Range Officer Ch Srinivas Rao by Gutti Koya tribals in Kothagudem in November 2022.

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The attacks have not stopped. On June 3, A forest beat officer (FBO) and watcher were injured after being assaulted by some youngsters, who were allegedly in an inebriated condition at a check post at Thapalapur village in Jannaram mandal. Last Friday, a Forest Range Officer, a section officer and two other staff members of the department suffered injuries when they were attacked by local villagers at Kalpole forest area under Mugpal mandal in Nizamabad district.The State Forest Service Officers Association (SFSOA) had submitted a representation to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) RM Dobriyal in the past, appealing to sanction arms and ammunition. This apart, they also wanted setting up of forest stations at the Divisional Level. The officials wanted pistols to be sanctioned for Forest Range Officers (FRO) rank and above and rifles to field staff for self-protection. On the lines of what the Kerala forest department did, they also wanted establishment of 18 forest stations at the Division Level.

As a pilot project, the officials wanted the stations to be set up in vulnerable areas of Asifabad, Adilabad, Khammam, Kothagudem, Karimnagar and other places. Admitting the demand from field staff for arms and ammunition and to set up forest police stations, a senior official said the issue was taken up with the government again recently. A detailed report on the proposal was also submitted and it was estimated to cost Rs.61 crore. The government has to decide on the matter, the official said.In addition to arms and ammunition, an appeal was also made to approve the plan to hire advocates at head office and at circle level for handling legal issues. After the Nizamabad incident, the issue was again raised before Forest Minister Konda Surekha on Saturday, the official said.

The forest officials had to deposit their weapons with the police during the early 1990s in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, following a few incidents of snatching of some weapons by Naxalites.