Kerala - Kochi   

PTR losing trained forest personnel

Tiger conservation in reserve affected.

KOCHI: The increased stress on sandalwood forest protection in the State has eclipsed the tiger conservation activities of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), the only reserve in the State.

Though the PTR is better positioned than most other tiger reserves in the country in terms of conservation and infrastructure facilities, it has not been able to retain the cream of trained forest officials, said senior forest officials.

Of late, the Reserve has become the recruitment ground for officers and guards to other territorial divisions of the State.

The Reserve loses foresters and range officers to territorial divisions on completion of the training.

It is mostly to Marayur, the sandalwood area, that the cream of the team is deployed from the Reserve.

It is true that most of the trained and efficient staff are picked from the PTR by the territorial divisions, said Bennichen Thomas, Field Director, Periyar Tiger Reserve.

This may be due to the impression that there is no poaching of tigers here. Unlike other Reserves in the country, the PTR has a better track record and the whole country looks up to the PTR model of tiger conservation, he said.

There are no vacancies of frontline staff in the PTR. The only vacancies are that of the staff who have been sent for training.

Each year, 15 per cent of the foresters are sent for training.

All such vacancies will be duly filled when a batch of 60 forest rangers rejoin duty in October after the training programme, he said.

Steps have been taken for advance reporting of retirement vacancies in the department so that the recruitment process can be set in motion, said V.S. Varghese, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).

There can be delay in filling the vacancies, as it may take some time for the Public Service Commission to complete the process, he said.

Recently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked the States to urgently fill up the vacancies of frontline staff in sanctuaries to save the big cat.

The directive was issued by Mr. Singh at a review meeting on tiger conservation measures.

On the suggestion of the meeting to constitute a Tiger Protection Force of local people, the PTR officials said that an Eco Development Committee consisting mostly of tribals and local people was functioning in the Reserve.

The formation of a Park Development Fund and a Park Development Committee, as suggested by the meeting, were already in place in PTR but under different names.

The Reserve has a Park Welfare Fund and a committee to manage it.

In addition to that, the Periyar Foundation is also supporting the activities, he said.

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