Visakhapatnam: The protection of the Andhra Pradesh’s forests is at stake owing to the staff crisis in the forest department. However, the state government continues to turn a blind eye to it. The government’s negligence could be gauged from the fact that the forest department did not figure in the GO issued by the AP government on according permission to fill 10,000 posts in various departments.
In contrast, the TS government has notified vacancies in the forest department.
The employee strength of the AP forest department where about 63 per cent of the total sanctioned posts is vacant presents a vivid picture as to how the forest is being protected. The department has 2,380 staff members working now against the sanctioned strength of 6,607.
The forest beat officers take a main role in safeguarding forest, and discharge a tough duty by invigilating and informing about the happenings in forest to their higher authorities. However, the forest department has only 915 forest beat officers. The ratio is one beat officer for every 40 sq km (10,000 acre) which is far low against the national ratio of one forest guard for 4,000 acre.
When contacted, AP Forest Department Employees Association general secretary B. Vijaya Kumar said, “The staff shortage is really a big concern. It is a tough challenge to protect the valuable natural wealth with such limited manpower. I have written a letter on behalf of the association to the principal secretary requesting him to fill up the vacancies. If the sanctioned posts are filled up, it will reduce the area of manning to half.”
