COIMBATORE: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami issued certificates to as many as 597 candidates, who have been recruited as Forest Guards, during the passing out ceremony held at Tamil Nadu Forest Academy in Coimbatore on Friday.
For the first time, the department has recruited women, 190 of them, as forest guards. The candidates were recruited by Tamil Nadu Forest Uniformed Service Recruitment Committee. One of the guards expressed happiness over being recruited and said that mass recruitment has paved way for many skilled candidates to enter the department.
Speaking at the event, Palaniswami announced that the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai is set for a makeover.
With the Forest department planning to modernise the park, it might get rare animals and birds. The government is planning to increase the green cover of the forest area by up to 33 per cent, he said.
Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan said that the State is making efforts to create a one-stop destination, a shop named Sirappu Angad, for retired anti-poaching watchers to buy all their goods.
Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani, TN Assembly Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman,were present.