Advisor Kumar asks Forest Deptt officers to conduct field visits

Advisor K Vijay Kumar chairing a meeting at Jammu on Wednesday.
Advisor K Vijay Kumar chairing a meeting at Jammu on Wednesday.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 20: Advisor to Governor, K Vijay Kumar today directed the senior officers of the Forest Department to conduct frequent field visits especially to the remote places to take stock of the functioning of the subordinate units and to meet the people to resolve their issues relating to the department.
The Advisor said this while addressing the Conservators of Forest from Kashmir and Jammu divisions. The officers including CCF Kashmir and others attended the meeting through video-conferencing.
The meeting was also attended by Commissioner Secretary Forests M K Dwivedi, PCCF J&K Suresh Chugh, Chief Conservator of Forests Jammu Sameer Bharti and other senior officers.
Stressing on the need of showing their presence in the field rather than sitting at the headquarters, the Advisor said that all Conservator of Forests should be required to conduct regular visits to the field to inspect the activities taken up and to review the performance of their subordinate staff.
He said that it is equally important sitting at offices but visiting their field areas to get the real ground report is something that cannot be ignored. If the senior officers spend their time touring the forest areas under their jurisdiction, it gives a strong message to their subordinates to perform well and achieve the given targets, he added.
The Advisor also directed the officers for maintaining tour diaries and submits the report to the senior office. This exercise would surely help get to know the activities going on at the ground level and performance of concerned officers.
He asked the Conservator of Forests to mentor the Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) working under their control in a way that it would further add to their performance.
The Advisor asked CCFs for making the DFOs more active in their job and encourages, motivate them for contributing to the department in an effective manner. He said that whatever support is required at ground level for strengthening the department, should be provided to them.
To have a strong communication system to report daily reports, K Vijay Kumar asked for creating Whatsapp groups for the purpose so that every single information is shared among others.
The Conservator of Forests from both the divisions was asked to submit detailed report including action plan of activities to be carried out by them. He directed them to work out the plan of plantation drive, anti-encroachment drive and forest fire preparations especially in Jammu division and submit the same to their senior office.
Commissioner Secretary Forests M K Dwivedi while addressing the officers asked them to spend night during their field visits and interact with staff and people to know the issues and to resolve them there only.
He said that effective role is required from the senior officers of the department which no doubt would further encourage their subordinates to perform well their duties. All the planning at office level must be reflected on ground but that is only possible when the action begins from higher level, he added.