Minister for Environment and Forests A.Indrakaran Reddy assured the visiting representatives of the forest personnel, that the government would support them, and provide them police protection.
In view of the recent attack on a woman forest range officer at Kagaznagar by locals led by vice-chairman of Zilla Parishad, the Joint Action Committee of Forest staff, which met the Minister on Tuesday at his chambers in the State Secretariat, demanded booking of the accused under the Preventive Detention Act, and speedy punishment through fast track courts.
Serious view
Responding to this, Mr. Indrakaran Reddy condemned the incident and said the government, taking a serious view of the incident, got all the accused arrested. He urged the officials not to lose morale and work together with Police and Revenue departments for protection of forests. The Minister also asked them to spread awareness among people about the need to protect forests. State Forest Service Association’s secretary Venkateshwar Reddy, Forest Range Officers Association’s secretary B. Mohan, and others met the Minister.