*Meager funds delaying expansion of FPF network
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 4: Contrary to the tall claims about according high priority to protection of forests, State Government is guarding the green gold from the mafia with the frail limbs as the strengthening and expanding of network of Forest Protection Force (FPF) has failed to receive the required attention till date.
The non-serious approach towards this vital organization of the Forest Department can be gauged from the fact that in Jammu region, the personnel of Forest Protection Force don’t have arms and even the functional units in vulnerable areas are lacking adequate infrastructure, which otherwise is required for better and prompt action of the FPF personnel to check illicit felling, encroachments, poaching, forest fires and illegal extraction/transportation of non-timber forest products.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that when the Forest Protection Force was created in the year 1996 by way of a Cabinet decision it was mentioned that each territorial forest division would have protection Gamma Units and in 2001 the Government enacted J&K Forest (Protection) Act to provide legal support to the Forest Protection Force envisaging that it will be an armed force on the pattern of Police Department for better protection of the green gold of the State.
However, this vital wing of the Forest Department has failed to receive any serious attention till date, which is evident from the fact against 30 units sanctioned for the Forest Protection Force, 23 are functional at present and no attention has been paid towards establishing remaining seven. Moreover, many of the functional units even in the areas which are vulnerable for encroachment and other illegal activities don’t have required infrastructure thereby establishing that J&K believes in protecting green gold with feeble limbs, sources said.
Though the units of the Forest Protection Force in Kashmir valley were provided arms more than a year back, the units in Jammu region have yet not received the weapons despite the fact that Home Department had agreed to provide the weapons on loan basis to the FPF several months back. “The delay in giving weapons to FPF personnel in Jammu is notwithstanding the fact that arms are vital for deterrence purpose and to scare away the mafia”, sources said while disclosing that majority of the functional units have neither been equipped nor trained in use of weapons.
As far as infrastructure is concerned, sources said, “even those units, which Government is claiming to be functional, are lacking barracks and other facilities, which otherwise are required for deployment of force for field operations”, adding “the non-serious approach doesn’t end here as Forest Protection Force doesn’t have full-fledged headquarter in Kashmir valley and the same is functioning from a small rented building”.
Disclosing that Forest Protection Force is getting less than Rs 4 crore per annum, sources said, “no attention is being paid towards increasing the allocation despite the fact that funds ranging between Rs 5 crore to 7 crore each are required for establishing remaining seven Gamma units with all required facilities”, adding “in the absence of adequate financial assistance not only the establishment of remaining units is getting delayed even functioning of the functional units is getting hampered due to lack of facilities”.
When contacted, a senior officer of Forest Protection Force said, “Home Department has agreed to provide required number of arms to our units in Jammu and hopefully the same would be formally given to us shortly”.
He disclosed that on the instruction of Commissioner Secretary Forest, unit wise projects are being prepared whereby actual requirements of Forest Protection Force personnel would be reflected so that required funds could be released from the Government.
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