THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The metaphorical overgrowth that keeps the public away from the forest department is all set to be cleared. The department, which has always been a world unto itself, has decided to set up help desks in each forest office to make forest offices more accessible to people. The help desks, where people can approach and seek information, will be manned by a special officer with a thorough knowledge of forest acts and rules. This follows strict instructions sent out by forest minister K. Raju to forest officials to make the department more accessible to the common man.
The philosophy of engagement stems from the realisation that the department touches non-forest life in more ways than is generally understood. Forest laws like Ecologically Fragile Land Act, for instance, impacts the daily life of common man just like petrol price hike. The social forestry wing of the department also has incentive schemes, like the growing of fruit trees in private holdings, about which the public is generally unaware. “People have innumerable doubts regarding the functioning of our department. Some of their queries have been put on our website as FAQs. Officials up to the level of range officers should be well-versed with such things,” a top department official said.
“A new contract system is in place. Likewise, there are lots of doubts and apprehensions regarding the implementation of the EFL Act. What’s more, people are even confused about the the procedures to be followed while cutting down trees in their own compound,” he said. And there are new schemes like ‘plant trees and earn money’ which calls for a more forest-public cooperation. The minister has directed that each forest office in the state should nominate a person with a comprehensive knowledge of forest acts and rules to deal with issues of the common man. “We have to identify a person not just well-versed with the nuances of the department but also someone who can draw people closer to the department,” the official said.
