BHUBANESWAR: Disturbed by the rising incidence of attacks, the Forest Department has decided to provide for the first time insurance cover for its forest protection squads.
Watchers, animal trackers and other contractual forest staff would get insurance cover and be entitled to ex gratia payment. For loss of life, ex gratia has been proposed at ` 1 lakh whereas injuries will get them for ` 50,000 and actual cost of treatment.
In the last few years, attacks on field staff have multiplied in the State. Timber mafia apart, the forest personnel have come to face the wrath of the Left wing extremists too.
While the Department has proposed to strengthen protection mechanism by identifying the vulnerable forest ranges which will be reinforced, introduction of insurance cover for the protection squad to be deployed in these pockets is aimed at boosting their morale to take on the mafia.
Last year, Nayagarh district had witnessed chilling murder of the field staff whereas the Naxals struck at Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary drawing strong reaction from the ground personnel.
Forest Department, in its annual plan of operation for 2010-11 has proposed that ` 1 crore be allocated to meet the cost of insurance cover. It has to be drawn from CAMPA funds which the State is entitled to.
The Department has identified 10 belts under Athagarh, Baripada, Ghumsar South, Keonjhar (wildlife), Nayagarh, Khurda, Bamra and Sambalpur South divisions as susceptible to frequent illicit felling of trees and smuggling by the organised mafia. In each of the 10 sites, protection squads, each comprising 10 members, mostly ex-servicemen, will be stationed beginning this year. They will assist the range staff in the conservation measures.
Going an extra mile, the Department has proposed to arm the staff and provide them proper infrastructure to operate. The group leader would be supplied either a revolver or a pistol while the forest guards will be given two rifles. Besides, mobile phones and two sets of searchlights will be given to each squad.
Each squad will patrol an operational area comprising three or four contiguous beats and will be expected to move on foot and apprehend the offenders. Similarly, vehicles will also be given so that the squads could act as strike force when necessary.
Log books will be given to the squads to record observations of illicit activities, wildlife evidence. The squads will act as “sensors” and as intelligence gathering unit for the forest range officers.