AP forest staff are not getting any proper training
Andhra Pradesh forest
Rajahmundry: Long delay in setting up AP Forest Academy has resulted in no training to the forest personnel for more than a year in the state. Soon after bifurcation of the state in June 2014, the AP Forest Academy located at Dulapally in Hyderabad, was allotted to newly formed Telangana state, while the AP government was asked to set up an academy of its own.
Accordingly, the forest authorities sent a proposal to the state government to set it up across 43 hectares of land at Diwan Cheruvu East Reserve Forest area located at Rajahmundry outskirts at a cost of Rs 98 crore. A comprehensive blueprint of various components to be incorporated in the upcoming forest academy was sent to the government long ago.
But the state government has failed to take any initiative for so long to set up the academy. As a result forest staff are not being given any proper training. Normally, forest section officers and forest guards undergo training in various issues in the academy.
The section officers are trained in several field aspects related to forestry like raising plant nurseries and their protection, preparation of inventory of plants and trees, aintenance of accounts, preparation of files and technical aspects including handling GPS. Forest guards are also trained in protecting forests and wildlife and using weapons. The training session lasts for a period ranging from six months to one year.
Though there has be-en no fresh recruitment of forest personnel in the recent past in AP, existing personnel need a thorough training and also periodical re-orientation sessions to ensure proper conservation and protection of wildlife.
Forest sources say that Telangana government allegedly asked for Rs 1 lakh for training each personnel from AP government, which intended to send forest personnel to undergo training in the Forest Academy of Telangana government in Hyderabad. The AP government was reluctant to do so.
A senior forest official said, “There is no point in causing delay to set up the AP Forest Academy near Rajahmundry for so long. The state government need not even fund the project as the funds will be mobilized from Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority of the Centre.”
However, CM N. Chandrababu Naidu agreed to set up the academy at its proposed site near Rajahmundry in principle during culmination of Godavari Maha Pushkaralu recently.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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