Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan distributing appointment orders of Beat Forest Officers recruited from the Scheduled Tribe community during the International Forest day celebrations organised by the Forest department, in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: S. MAHINSHA
The State government on Tuesday inducted 500 youths from forest-dependent tribal communities as beat forest officers (BFOs) in the Forest department.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the appointment orders to the recruits during the International Day of Forests observance held here.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vijayan said the initiative is part of the government’s efforts to bring Scheduled Tribes communities that depend on the forest for their livelihood into the mainstream. The BFOs have been appointed from local communities through a special recruitment drive to protect forests as well as preserve their traditional practices. The programme is bound to enhance their living conditions and ensure social justice.
He added the participation and services rendered by forest-dependent communities for various purposes including forest fire mitigation, eco-tourism, forest produce collection and cultivating medicinal plant is a boon for the State.
The government also aimed at preserving the State’s forest cover through participatory forest management activities. The Ecorestoration Policy 2021 that is being implemented is part of such efforts, the Chief Minister pointed out.
Presiding over the function, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran exhorted the new recruits to be compassionate while dealing with the problems of farmers in forest areas. He released a logo to commemorate the silver jubilee of participatory forest management efforts in the State. He also presented the Vanamitra Award 2022-23 for Thiruvananthapuram district to B. Sanakan of Aryanad.
Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes K. Radhakrishnan, Transport Minister Antony Raju, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran, District panchayat president D. Suresh Kumar and the Head of the Forest Force Bennichen Thomas also participated.
