ONFSA demands arms for forest staff to combat Maoists

Baripada, May 15 (UNI) The Orissa Non-gazetted Forest Services Association(ONFSA)has urged the state government to provide sophisticated guns to foresters and forest guards to confront threats from Maoists, timber smugglers and poachers.

''The foresters and forest guards should also be imparted training to handle the firearms,'' ONFSA(East Zone) President Sanyasi Behera said.

The demand for providing firearms to the forest staff was raised following the murder of forester Rabindra Nath Patra by the Maoists in Sergada forest beat under Rairangpur range in Mayurbhanj district on May 9.

At an emergent meeting held here on Sunday,the ONFSA suggested joint patrolling in the forest by the Armed Police Reserve(APR) and the forest field staff.

In order to enforce the joint patrolling, it was necessary to deploy APR comprising four constables and one havildar to each forest range in the naxalite-affected Mayurbhanj district,the ONFSA said.

The Association adopted a resolution demanding a minimum Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kith of forest official killed by the ultras. There should not be any disparity in the quantum of ex-gratia between a victim forest official or policemen,the ONFSA said.

It further mooted a proposal for introducing a risk insurance scheme for a sum assured of Rs 10 lakh for forest field staff with provisions for payment of the premium by the state government and regular police-forest co-ordination meetings to discuss and plan strategies to combat the ultras in the densely forest areas.

The Association appealed to the government to provide jobs in forest department to at least two daughters of Rabindra Nath Patra.

UNI