BHUBANESWAR: After two recent incidents of left wing ultras killing forest field employees in Orissa, the Forest Department has decided to bring forth humane face in its administration while dealing with people particularly tribals living in forest areas.

At one-day-long meeting of forest officials here on Saturday, Principal Secretary to Forest and Environment Hrusikesh Panda said people would have to be taken into confidence in programme implementation.

Divisional Forest Officers (DFO) were sharply divided over the issue of arming field staff to tackle Maoist extremists.

However, the Forest Secretary was of the view that arms could not be the medium to confront naxalites; rather sympathy of people would act as shield.

Most of the DFOs advocated group patrolling provisions for field staff to avoid being targeted by Maoists.

Director of Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary Debabrata Swain said Sabuja Vahini, a force of field level volunteers, should be strengthened so that they could work as frontal force. Apart from the Maoist threat, man-animal conflicts dominated the proceedings of the crucial meeting.

Elephant straying

On recent elephant straying into Bhubaneswar, Mr. Panda accepted the proposal to dig out trench for immediate solution.

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