State Forest Research Institute in limbo

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 19

The functioning of the State Forest Research Institute in Laddowal, which was supposed to spearhead research in forestry and forest development in the state on the lines of the Forest Research Institute, has been lying in limbo for more than a year now.

It was supposed to have become operational by September 2016.

State Forest Research Institute, which was to function like the Forest Research Institute (FRI) Dehradun was supposed to spearhead advanced research in forestry with senior scientists along with guidance and assistance from the FRI.

In fact, the building for the SFRI in Laddowal was also designed on the lines of the building of the FRI, Dehradun, and is a scaled-down replica of the building. But SFRI has not become operational and the building, which was completed more than a year ago, lies almost unoccupied and unused.

According to sources, the reason behind the abandonment of the project is poor fiscal health of the state government in addition to fewer budgets for research by the Centre also. An official said because of lowered budget, the forest research institutes are finding it hard to manage their own funding, because of which the help to other states is not there. Because of poor fiscal health, the state government has also not been making appointments for the State Forest Research Institute.

The announcement of SFRI in 2016 had kindled hope for the improvement of the dwindling forest cover in the state.

When asked, Vishal Chauhan, Additional Director, SFRI, said the research division of the department is proposed to be shifted to the institute from Hoshiarpur. The institute has better laboratory facilities. The extension wing of the Forest Department would also be shifted here.

When asked about the delay, Jitendra Sharma, Principal Chief Conservator Forests, Punjab, however, said the approval for the posts at State Forest Research Institute is yet to be sanctioned by the government. “Things did not come through for the posts for the institute earlier. But I am in touch with ICAR, ICFI and Director FRI and we are working actively to use this infrastructure. So the research and training of the Forest Department will be shifted here from Hoshiarpur. FRI scientists are going to be with us. They have designated a nodal officer to work out what projects can be carried out from here,” he said.