HP govt for separate wildlife cadre

Forest Minister JP Nadda said the state forest department has been asked to make efforts for constituting a separate wildlife sub-cadre. “The protected areas hold the state’s precious natural wealth and their proper management is our priority. This can be achieved through a specialised wildlife sub-cadre,” he said during a workshop for officers of the wildlife wing at Bilaspur Monday. Nadda said wildlife is a specialised area and there is a strong need of trained and dedicated staff for managing the protected area network of the state.

After the state gets formal approval of the proposed rationalisation process for protected areas,the area will increase from 13 to nearly 15 per cent of the total geographical area of the state. According to State of Forest Report-2009,the state recorded an increase of 200 hectares in its forest cover. “Since the Centre has decided to exclude the area above 4,000 m (snowline) from the geographical area of the state,this effectively brings the forest cover to 44 per cent in Himachal Pradesh,” said Nadda.

In 2007,when present Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Vinay Tandon and Head of Forest Forces was head of the Wildlife wing,a proposal for setting up a separate cadre was framed,but it was grounded after it did not find favour with state officials.

Tandon today asked the wildlife wing’s field functionaries for effective patrolling of forests,identifying areas vulnerable to forest fire and evolve prevention strategies by involving local people.