Bhubaneswar: The Similipal Tiger Reserve has hired 20 ex-servicemen from the army and paramilitary with experience in jungle and guerrilla warfare to assist its Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in patrolling and countering poachers in deep forests.
The ex-servicemen’s recruitment has been done through the director general of resettlement (DGR), Similipal officials said.“We had raised a demand to deploy 20 former soldiers with the experience in anti-Naxal and counter-insurgency operations in Similipal. The DGR has empanelled organisations which handle the deployment of the ex-servicemen,” said Susanta Nanda, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife).
He said the ex-servicemen will lead from the front while patrolling with the STPF personnel. “Their expertise and work experience will hugely boost the STPF morale. Their presence will also help carry out anti-poaching operations during monsoon, when it becomes tough to keep the poachers at bay as they take advantage of the inhospitable roads,” Nanda added.
Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni said the STPF will learn self-defence and the art of reacting to a particular situation when confronted with the poachers suddenly. There are tricks that the ex-servicemen know to make the poachers surrender without collateral damage. Also, protection is an important aspect that the STPF needs to learn while handling weapons and moving in the forest, he said.
STR has been allotted highest 128 guns out of which 33 include Excalibur guns (assault rifles) to arm the STPF, rangers and foresters. A range officer and a forester had been killed by poachers in May and June last year.
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The ex-servicemen’s recruitment has been done through the director general of resettlement (DGR), Similipal officials said.“We had raised a demand to deploy 20 former soldiers with the experience in anti-Naxal and counter-insurgency operations in Similipal. The DGR has empanelled organisations which handle the deployment of the ex-servicemen,” said Susanta Nanda, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife).
He said the ex-servicemen will lead from the front while patrolling with the STPF personnel. “Their expertise and work experience will hugely boost the STPF morale. Their presence will also help carry out anti-poaching operations during monsoon, when it becomes tough to keep the poachers at bay as they take advantage of the inhospitable roads,” Nanda added.
Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni said the STPF will learn self-defence and the art of reacting to a particular situation when confronted with the poachers suddenly. There are tricks that the ex-servicemen know to make the poachers surrender without collateral damage. Also, protection is an important aspect that the STPF needs to learn while handling weapons and moving in the forest, he said.
STR has been allotted highest 128 guns out of which 33 include Excalibur guns (assault rifles) to arm the STPF, rangers and foresters. A range officer and a forester had been killed by poachers in May and June last year.
We also published the following articles recently
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