BHUBANESWAR, July 6 (PTI): Odisha government has accorded permission to forest staff on patrol duty in different jungles of the state to fire in self defence if they face danger to their lives.
The notice, issued by the department of forest, environment and climate change on Wednesday, followed the recent killing of a forester and forest guard by poachers when they were patrolling the core area of Simlipal National Park.
A section of the forest workers struck work after it to press their demand that they be permitted to open fire in self defence.
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The new notice will be applicable for all forest guards, foresters, deputy forest range officers, forest range officers, assistant conservators of forests, sub-divisional forest officers, deputy conservators of forests, deputy directors, divisional forest officers, regional chief conservators of forests, field directors and any other forest officers responsible for maintenance of public order relating to forest and wildlife protection, conservation and management in the state.
It said, “The use of firearms in the discharge of their mandated duty and responsibility, may expose forest personnel to vexatious criminal proceedings and that there is need to provide them immunity from prosecution without prior sanction”.
The notice mentioned that any proceedings, including institution of a criminal case of any nature whenever firing is resorted to by forest personnel, will be initiated by the police only after a magisterial inquiry.
Keeping in view the strike by forest officers the state government has deployed one platoon police force and around 30 police personnel for joint patrolling in the tiger reserve to contain attacks by poachers on frontline staff.
The non-gazetted employees’ union president Khageswar Sethi expressed happiness over the government decision but at the same time pointed out that it may not serve the purpose as the forest department do not have adequate modern firearms and ammunition.
While there are about 400 field staff engaged in patrolling forests, the department has so far provided only 53 firearms, he said.
Forest officers will, however, continue their cease work and stage a dharna at the Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar from July 10 to press their demand for adequate number of firearms to them, compensation in case of death in an attack by poachers and jobs for family members in such an eventuality.
