Minister, department of environment, forests and climate change and parliamentary affairs Nagaland, C. M. Chang had an interactive session with the department’s officers and staff on March 16. According to a press release from chief wildlife warden, Satya Prakash Tripathi (IFS), Chang held the session after a speech when he visited the forest office complex and was welcomed senior forest officers and staff.
The release said that during the session, officials and staff spoke about the problems faced by them and the department and each and every officer and staff introduced themselves to the Minister.
C. M. Chang, while having an interactive meeting with officers and staff, both technical as well as ministerial assured the officers and staff that he would take all possible necessary steps to improve the functioning of the department, the release stated. According to the release, Chang assured the department that he would take up the matter of allocation of fund for “Forest and Wildlife” under the 14th Finance Commission Award, with the Government of Nagaland. He further said that everybody working for the forest department was his own family and urged them to work hard for the development of the state.
Satya Prakash Tripathi spoke on functioning of the Wildlife Wing, existing Sanctuaries and the lone National Park in Nagaland — Intanki National Park. He also spoke on the success story of notification of 18 numbers of Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) into community reserves by the state government and the funding of community reserve projects by the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, government of India. Tripathi also emphasized the need for notification of all CCAs into community reserves by the state government for subsequent funding by the ministry so that the department as well as the communities owning these CCAs could be benefited. He also highlighted the shortage of funds for the department to execute works.
Wildlife Warden Dimapur and Kiphire, Director Nagaland Zoological Park, Divisional Forest Office, Dimapur and FUO Dimapur also spoke on the occasion explaining the mandate of their work.