GUWAHATI, June 13 � The State Government will retain the existing forest area of the State intact at any cost.
The Government will also involve those forest dwellers, who have been allowed to stay inside the forest by the legislation on the right of the forest dwellers, in the process of forest management, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here today. He was replying to a question at a press conference.
It has gone for numbering the forest dwellers with an aim at preventing fresh encroachment. Besides, it is planning to impart better training to the forest guards and to provide them better arms and equipment as well, he said.
It has asked the Forest Department to deal firmly the culprits involved in the killing of forest guard Hassan Ali of Orang National Park. The forest guard was resisting a gang of poachers and encroachers and was reportedly abducted by his assassins before being killed.
