State sitting over forest dept proposal on martyrs

Nagpur: Even as foresters are becoming more vulnerable to various threats while working in the field, the state government is sitting over a proposal to declare victims as ‘Van Shahids’ and offer Rs25 lakh package to the next of the kin, on the lines of policemen taking on Naxalites.
On September 9, 2020, the PCCF office here had sent a revised proposal to offer Rs25 lakh relief to the kin of forest officials and employees who lay down their lives on duty and Rs3 lakh in case of permanent disability.
Earlier, the proposal was sent twice to the state government — once on May 29, 2017, and later on May 16, 2019. With the killing of forest guard Swati Dhumne by a tiger in the core area of Tadoba on Sunday, the foresters and officials have once again raised the issue.
The scheme is in place in the police department for those who are injured or killed while fighting Naxalites. Under the scheme, Rs25 lakh is kept as a fixed deposit and the family of the kin gets monthly interest thereof. The amount cannot be withdrawn for 10 years. However, on September 18, 2012, the state had allowed to withdraw the money in exceptional cases.
As per the GR issued on September 22, 2008, the Maharashtra government announced its forest policy. One of the clauses (3.3.13) states, “If any forest officer/employee dies or attains disability while attending the call of the duty, such employees and officials will be paid compensation package as per the existing policy in the police department.”
Considering the state forest policy and existing scheme prevailing in the police department the forest department sent a proposal to the government but it is gathering dust.
Ajay Patil, central president of Maharashtra State Forest Guards and Promoted Foresters Sanghatana said, “Such forest employees should be declared as Van Shahids. They move into forests for official work without any safety measures and are true protectors of the huge environmental assets. The state should immediately approve the proposal.”
As per the home ministry GR issued on June 1, 2011, there is a provision that if any officer/employee dies while on duty, the last salary he was drawing should be paid next to his kin till the date the deceased employee was to retire. Besides, the payment of salary should be enhanced as per the time-bound promotions the deceased employee/officer was supposed to get during his service period.
Over the last few years, there is a spurt in attacks on foresters by poachers, encroachers, timber smugglers. Besides, foresters are also vulnerable to wild animal attacks during patrolling and extinguishing forest fires.
According to an application filed by Kishor Rithe, member, Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA), in the Supreme Court, from 1987 to 2020, in Maharashtra alone, 656 foresters have been attacked causing the death of 19 of them. The situation in other states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan is even worse.