Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Urges 'Lazy' Forest Department to Spring to Action

Itanagar, September 28, 2019:

Addressing senior officers of forest department here yesterday, Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu said conservation should not only mean protecting forests and wildlife but should also take into account the improvement of the lives of the people living around them.

Asking the department to shed its image of a "stumbling block to development", Pema Khandu advised them to come up with innovative solutions to strike a balance between environmental sustainability and economic growth.

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He urged the department to sensitize the people towards conservation by taking up conservation-related tourism festivals in the state which, according to him, will be effective in spreading the message of conservation.

He also asked the department to ensure timely submission of proposals for centrally-sponsored afforestation schemes from the districts.

Lamenting that the forest department has lost its charm by being less active, Khandu asked the officers to move towards transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

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He also noted that despite the central funding for recruitment of a special tiger protection force in the state, the forest department has not been able to utilize the opportunity. He said the matter should be taken up urgently.

This year, funds for CAMPA were distributed all over the state, unlike earlier times when such funds were limited only to certain areas and on avenue plantation.

The department of forest, once known as very active has become the laziest today, Khandu alleged.

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