To achieve the desired results in forestry, officers should make it a point to work towards conservation and protection in tandem with the local community i.e., dependents of forests, speakers told the officers who passed out after completion of a two-year long professional course at the Central Academy for State Forest Service in Coimbatore on Friday.
As many as 35 officers including 11 from Sikkim, 14 from Jammu and Kashmir and three from Meghalaya completed their two-year course for induction as Assistant Conservator of Forests in their respective States. This is the 22nd batch to pass out after training in various spheres of ecological conservation, protection of bio-diversity, and conservation of flora and fauna, besides jungle survival training and combat techniques by the Special Task Force (STF) of Tamil Nadu.
Dharmendra Verma, Director of Forestry Education said that officers should remember that it should be forestry of the people, by the people and for the people. On completion, the officers are passing out with a diploma in Forestry, he added. He said that 30 of the 35 are passing out with honours and he lauded this as the best batch.
V. Ramakanthan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Director of the Institute of Wood Science and Technology - Bangalore told the officers that professional competence and sincerity will bring them due respect irrespective of their rank.
V.K. Melkani, APPCF (Project Tiger - Tamil Nadu) said that in spite of the changes in forest policy to bring in more protected areas, green cover was shrinking and it was at this point in time that Forest Managers i.e., officers, have a great role to play in combating challenges. He reminded them that they enter the services in an era of expertise.
Pervaiz Ahmed Wani bagged the gold medal from the Ministry of Environment and Forests for being the topper in the 2012-2014 batch.
