After attack, Punjab says will arm its forest staff, arms bought gather dust

Rajmeet Singh 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20

Waking up from slumber after a murderous attack on a block forest officer in Seonk (Mohali) on Monday night, Punjab Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on Wednesday proposed bringing in a policy to equip the field staff with firearms and setting up a “forest protection force” to deal firmly with the mafia involved in illegal sand mining and theft of wood.

However, what the minister failed to mention was that a similar proposal was mooted in 2014, but three departments — Forest, Home and Legal Remembrancer — had yet to clear it.

In fact, the plan had reached a stage where around 30 firearms — double-barrel guns and pistols — were purchased by the Forest Department to equip the field staff. But these could not be handed over  as the enabling law could not be enacted. The weapons are currently lying with the police at Phillaur.

A few states such as Jammu and Kashmir and Assam, with extensive forest lands, have armed forest protection forces.

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the Forest Minister said he would request Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to approve the policy in the next Cabinet meeting.

Asked as to why the department had failed to act on regular complaints of illegal sand mining and timber theft in the Kandi belt of lower Shivaliks, including Mohali, the minister sought to put the blame on the previous SAD-BJP government for “nurturing the mafia”.

The minister announced that those grievously injured in the Seonk incident would get Rs 50,000 each, while those with lesser injuries would get financial aid worth Rs 21,000 each. The government would bear the treatment expense of the injured employees, who would also get two increments each apart from the gallantry awards.

The incident of an upright forest officer being attacked by the sand mafia has raised several questions about the inability of the department to deal with rampant sand mining and timber theft.

A government team was also at the receiving end during the Shahkot byelection, where a case was registered against its candidate in connection with alleged illegal mining. In November, a general manager of the Mining Department was attacked by the sand mafia in Patiala district.

Water Resources Dept may follow suit 

The Water Resources Department is also contemplating arrangements to secure its field staff, including possible induction of firearms. Terming the attack on the forest officials serious, Irrigation and Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria told The Tribune that his department was working on the issue. “We will address the safety of our field staff in our coming mining policy,” he said.