‘Forest staff hand in glove with thieves’

Forest minister Patangrao Kadam on Sunday said that the forest department staff was hand in glove with those who commit small thefts and crimes in various forest areas of the state.

He was speaking at the concluding function of the Wildlife Week organised by the forest department in Pune. Principal chief conservator of forests, director general of social forestry Tasneem Ahmed, chief conservator Nitin Kakodkar and expert on Indian Owls Dr Satish Pande were present at the event. Kadam gave away awards to the forest department staff for their commendable job in various categories.

Kadam said that it was necessary to save tigers. “Human beings are encroaching upon animal habitat and that is the reason animals are coming to localities creating fear psychosis,” he said.

Kadam added, adequate amount of water bodies and grass have to be maintained for wildlife in jungles, so that the entire chain of animal kingdom is protected without much efforts like it has happened in Kenya. Dr Satish Pande gave an audio-visual presentation on Indian owls.