Pankaj Nath, Assam, June 22:
Jayanta Malla Baruah, Minister of Finance and Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Assam, during a review meeting of the Forest Department held at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara on Monday, took a tough stand on the departmental officials and stressed on ensuring transparency and accountability in forest conservation and management. The meeting was attended by officials of all the Regional Forest Divisions of the State and detailed discussions were held on the progress, challenges and issues related to corruption. In his address, the Minister said that conservation of forest resources and protection of biodiversity in the state is the top priority of the government. He said that along with improving the conservation efforts being made by the Forest Department, strict action will also be taken against the ongoing corruption and irregularities in the department. The Minister expected the officials to follow the rules, avoid false reporting and paperwork, and actively involve local communities in protective measures. At the meeting, each regional division summarized their activities—including cases of illegal felling, wildlife conservation initiatives, community forest management, and forest fire preparedness. While some divisions mentioned the problems of upheaval and resource depletion, many also shared the good results of successful conservation models and partnerships with the people. The Minister closely reviewed these presentations and said that where there is a resource problem, there is a need for administrative vigilance and planned investment; At the same time, where there are signs of corruption, those cases will be investigated separately. In particular, the Minister emphasized on strengthening community participation and directed to enhance cooperation with local public representatives and village communities. He said that forest conservation is not just the job of the officials — along with the benefits—the local people should also be given seven responsibilities so that the stability of the conservation is maintained. He also directed to strengthen training, technical support and monitoring systems so that illegal activities can be detected at the earliest. At the end of the meeting, the Minister clarified that in order to maintain transparency, every division will have to do regular public reporting of its activities and the grievance redressal mechanism will be intensified. He warned that strict disciplinary action as well as legal action would be taken against the employees involved in violation of rules. Senior officials of the Forest Department welcomed the Minister’s instructions and informed that they will submit an action plan as per the instructions soon. The meeting was also attended by high officials of the Forest Department, Forest officials and some others representatives. The meeting reflects the government’s seriousness to improve forest conservation and management in Assam, as well as a decisive step towards promoting transparency, accountability, and community-based conservation across the state.
