August 1, 2018
Forest Dept to recruit locals through own recruitment board
The State Forest Department has decided to set up its own recruitment board for recruiting forest security guards, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in the State Assembly on Thursday, July 28.
Local youths would mostly be recruited through this board, according to her, since, possessing better knowledge of the area, they will be able to handle the local forest-related problems in a more effective manner.
The Forest Department will also recruit personnel known as ‘Aranya Bandhus’ (‘friends of the forest’) in every gram panchayat in non-forest areas from among local youths. As per rule, a person has to seek permission of the Forest Department before felling a tree in a non-forest area. Instead of approaching and taking permission from the Divisional Forest Officer, which is a lengthy process, the person will now be able to approach an Aranya Bandhu to make the process much quicker.
These Aranya Bandhus will also be offered training by the department to setting up nurseries that will act as an added source of income for them. Some of the trees they grow in the nursery will be taken by the State for plantation and the rest they will be able to sell on their own.
Source: Millennium Post
