Saldanha also announced that the government is in the process of recruiting around 200 forest guards in the next six months, who will monitor the forest areas. “We also have a committee under the chairmanship of the conservator of forests for speedy and timely disposal of cases related to tree felling,” the minister informed the House.
She was replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane who pointed out that despite nearly 400 cases of tree felling reported in the last two years ( 2013-14 & 2014-15) more than 80 percent of the cases are still under investigation.
Rane questioned why there is a delay and whether the department has a special squad to monitor such illegality. Admitting that there is no special squad to monitor such cases, she said that the delay in settling the cases is basically because in most of the cases the offender is unknown. “It is the duty of the field staff to protect the forest. But even then such illegality is reported. In most of the cases, the offenders are unknown and hence there is a delay in settling the case,” she said. Saldanha said that in case of serious offences, case is also filed in the Court.
