Hyderabad, April 29: For restructuring the forests department and ensure effective conservation of forests, the state government today decided to create 4,500 new posts in different categories of the department apart from filling of 650 posts that fell vacant due to retirements. It has also been decided to enhance the compensation to be paid to victims of wild animal attacks.
The Government has also agreed to provide 25 police parties in addition to the existing 11 police parties for protection of teak and redsanders in the state.
Speaking to reporters here today, Environment and Forests Minister P Ramachandra Reddy said the compensation paid for wild animal attack on humans and damage to crops was meagre as it was fixed in 1992.
“The chief minister directed the officials to study the compensation being provided in the neighbouring states and fix the maximum rate being extended there,’’ he said. The kin of persons killed by wild animals are likely to be paid Rs 2 lakh as compensation.
On the lines of National Cadet Corps, students participating in the activities of the National Green Corps also will receive incentives in the state. It has been decided to purchase 340 vehicles under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for use of field officers.
Chief minister K Rosaiah directed the finance department to release the state’s share of Rs 1 crore under Integrated Forests Protection scheme and another Rs 90 lakh for maintenance of national parks and sanctuaries to avail complete funds from the Central government for the year 2010-11. To increase forest cover outside the reserve forests under social forestry programme, the state government will take up plantation of one million saplings on a single day in July. The forests department could plant only 42.56 lakh saplings against its target of 294 saplings during 2009-10 due to lack of sufficient rains.
–Agencies