There is a forty percent shortage in forest staff at the forest department. Sources in the department said that there was dire need for the recruitment of young staff because the foresters were mostly above the age of fifty years and in some case even sixty years. This is situation which plagues unfortunately the tiger reserves also. Highly placed Sources in the forest department confirmed that they were facing shortage and stated that efforts were being made to make fresh recruitments.
A senior official while talking to “The Pioneer” said that the last recruitments for the forest rangers had been way back in 1999. “There have been no new recruitments since then and whatever recruitments that have taken place have been those that were replacements of those that have died in harness” he said.
The senior official said that there was a dire need of young frontline staff. “What we have staff which are over fifty five years of age who cannot match the young workers. We are endeavouring that the fresh recruitments take place soon. This is more essential now since we have over three tiger reserves which include the Amangarh Tiger Reserve and the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve after the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve” he said.
Sources from the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve said that they were understaffed by forty percent. “The front life staff is over sixty years old and are only able to manage because of their experience but we need more staff. The poachers and the hunters are very well equipped and we are understaffed which is a problem that we face” he said. Sources also revealed that the staff in the absence of promotions is highly demotivated. “The frontline staff is also demotivated because it has seen no promotions which is another reason that affects their work. Also with their retirement drawing near they were not keen on work” he added.
A senior official said that the problem of shortage of staff affected all areas whether it be the frontline staff or the officials.
Sources said that during the monsoon patrolling the shortage of staff did not make much of difference because of the fact that areas of the reserve became inaccessible to poachers.
“This shortage of staff is covered by the fact that the monsoon makes areas inaccessible to poachers and hunters and hence works to the department’s advantage” he said.
Meanwhile preparation for the Monsoon patrolling had begun at the forest reserves with arrangements being made for the stocking of the dry rations and the fuel. “It is a difficult time during the monsoons wherein the patrolling becomes difficult. Ration is stocked in places because at time the floods are so severe that areas become inaccessible” he said.