UDUPI : Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Monday instructed forest officials to further strengthen safety protocols for frontline personnel and to initiate swift, stringent action against recent encroachments on forest land.
Khandre said frontline staff are pivotal to forest conservation and must be provided with adequate protective gear.
He directed officials to supply equipment such as electric shock sticks, rain-protection jackets and appropriate footwear to personnel deployed in challenging field conditions.
The minister also sought a detailed account of housing arrangements for members of elephant task forces, anti-poaching squads and other frontline teams. He further ordered that personnel assigned to hazardous duties be granted the risk allowance and welfare benefits due to them.
Addressing a review meeting of the Forest and Environment Department in Udupi, Khandre reiterated the government’s “zero tolerance” stance on encroachments. He directed officials to prevent any fresh encroachments and to remove all encroachments that have come up after 2015. He noted that affidavits submitted earlier indicated that close to 2 lakh acres of forest land had already been encroached upon prior to 2015.
While he stated that families occupying less than three acres for livelihood purposes, including claimants of patta land, would not be evicted until the government makes alternative arrangements, officials were instructed to commence action against encroachments exceeding three acres.
On pending forest notification matters, Khandre directed officials to fast-track the process for declaring approximately 2,000 acres, covered under Section 17, as notified forest.
He said a special officer would be appointed to resolve long-pending forest notification cases in the Mangaluru Circle, where 55 cases spanning 6,144.99 hectares remain unresolved.
