Necessary steps will be taken to lift the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) out of the condition resulting from paucity of funds. The director-general of forests and special secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Sharad Singh Negi said this while interacting with a delegation of forest scientists, technical and ministerial staff of ICFRE and Forest Research Institute.
According to Forests Scientists Association (FoSA) chairman, Dr Ashok Kumar, representatives of the council and institute’s Technical Staff Association (TSA) and Ministerial Staff Association (MSA) met Negi during his current visit to Dehradun.
They raised various issues and requested that the same be resolved without further delay. They elicited focus on the issue of disbursement of pension for ICFRE employees from Consolidated Funds of India (CFI) as was agreed upon during creation of ICFRE as an autonomous body of the MoEFCC.
Extension of medical facility as per CGHS instead of the present make shift arrangement, introduction of cashless system, strengthening the infrastructure of ICFRE and FRI, matters related to one time grant and its diversified uses, discontinuation of chairs of excellence, appropriate availability of funds for forestry research, extension and education were also among the issues raised with the forest DG. Negi assured the association representatives that their problems would be resolved in the near future.
On being reminded about FoSA’s earlier request for disbursement of more funds for research and development along with maintenance of FRI estate, Negi said that a sum of Rs five crore had been disbursed. After the utilisation of this fund as intended, more fund would be made available during February this year.
Steps will also be taken to improve the condition of ICFRE presently affected by the paucity of funds, he said. Negi further said that infrastructure of FRI and its estate would be developed to meet the requirement of the research and development sector.
The issue of technical staff which has been pending since the fourth pay commission will also be resolved soon, said Negi, while also assuring that he will intervene at his end to ensure that the issue is settled for good. The robust and quantitative system of annual performance appraisal report (APAR) which was applicable upto 2013 would also be reinstated to facilitate appropriate review of scientists. Scientists achieving higher results could also be encouraged appropriately.
On the issue of pension and medical facility for the retired employees, Negi assured that the pension system would be brought on the pattern of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for disbursement of pension from Consolidated Funds of India, and once that is completed, retried employees of ICFRE would automatically be covered under CGHS including that of cashless system of treatment. FRI director Savita was also among those present in the meeting.