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Journalism of Courage
Weapon procurement for forest officers in Andhra Pradesh may still take another four to five months even as encounters between red sander smugglers and officials are being reported almost everyday.
The state government had,on December 21,issued a Government Order GO for the Forest Department to procure 375 weapons on a priority basis. The purchase order for the weapons,however,will still have to be placed through the state Home Department which means procurement may be delayed. A previous GO to procure weapons for forest department was issued last March but has been stuck in red-tape.
Last week,a technical committee set up to suggest suitable weapons for forest officials,recommended the US-made Maverick pump-action gun and 0.32 bore revolver. On Monday,Principal Chief Conservator of Forests PCCF B Somasekhara said an initial order of 250 pump-action guns with 20,000 rounds of ammunition and 125 revolvers with 7,500 rounds of ammunition will be placed. The pump-action guns are for range and beat officials who carry out patrolling and combing operations while the revolvers are for the senior officers,he said. The weapons are US-made. From the time the order is placed and the weapons are received and provided to our officers,it may take four or five months, Reddy said.
Till the weapons are procured,the Forest Department has got permission to use old .303 rifles and surplus police rifles to start training its officials to use of weapons.
Red Sanders grow in Kadapa in the Nallamalla Hills range,and parts of Chittor and Nellore districts,which are not easy ares to patrol due to the terrain. Forest officials are often attacked by smugglers.
