CM calls for harmony between forest dwellers and officials

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday asked forest officers to refrain from corruption and create a conflict-free coexistence with forest dwellers while implementing the rules. Addressing the State-level Forest Officers Conference here, the Chief Minister told them to be sensitive while dealing with poor people.

“One-fourth of the State’s population is tribal, and they mainly live in forests and its surrounding areas. It is the moral responsibility of the government to create a conflict-free co-existence for them and protect them,” the Chief Minister said.

Stating that forest officers are mainly interacting with tribals, Dalits and backward classes people, the Chief Minister told the officers to be sensitive while dealing with these people. He said the forest officers need to involve more people in plantation and tree protection activities, like dousing forest fire incidents.

Majhi suggested that forest officers undertake paddy cultivation in vacant spaces within forest areas in order to keep elephants within the forest boundary, so that they do not visit human habitation areas. The Chief Minister said during tree plantation programme, the officers should focus on fruits and flowers in inhabited areas so that the local people would be interested in protecting them. Similarly, in roadside tree plantation programme, Majhi suggested that officers plant useful trees. He said attention should also be given to the protection of wildlife.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the protection of wildlife. He said, “We have not achieved 100 per cent success. The officers should use new technologies where necessary. Take cooperation of voluntary organisations, civic safety forums and others for forest protection.”

Majhi said the current government is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. “Stay away from corruption,” he said.