Recently, the Athagarh DFO has renovated her public office with hundred percent CCTV camera surveillance, beautiful gateway and orchid in the campus by spending over Rs 10 lakh.
Strict restrictions have been imposed for entry of the common people for the last one year. Where due to fund crunch, patrolling vehicles don't move in forest areas for guarding, staff are being retrenched and there is instruction from Government to maintain austerity in view of Covid 19, what was the necessity of making such a huge structure for a gateway here, questioned Wildlife Society of Orissa secretary Biswajit Mohanty.
The new rule is anybody who enters the office must have to open his chappals or shoes outside. Mediapersons even have been barred to enter the office for any query. On the other hand a handful of scribes have been kept by the DFO for money to write favourable reports.
The DFO doesn't receive the phone calls of the common people in general to hear any complaint. As most of the Government and private funds come to the division for afforestation, conservation of the forest and protecting wildlife, crores of rupees allegedly are being embezzled by the staff.