Forest academy at Chandrapur to be operational within a year

The new forest academy being set up in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district will be operational in a year's time, State Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said today.
The academy will train officials on flora and fauna conservation and on increasing bamboo plantations in the state.
"Since there is no proper training institute for forest conservators and officials above their rank, they had to go to far fetched places like Dehradun and Uttaranchal for training on flora and fauna conservation and bamboo research," he said.
"In November 2014, we decided to set up a bamboo research and training centre and forest academy in Chandrapur. The existing forest training institute (in Chandrapur) will be upgraded to academy and renamed as Chandrapur Forest Academy of Administration, Development and Management," Mungantiwar told PTI.

Basic operations will start in next three months but the academy will become fully operational in about a year's time, he added.
Mungantiwar said the academy that will receive 100 per cent grants from the state government, will train officers on managing wildlife and products derived from forests.

"There were initially 32 posts sanctioned for the academy and now we have 12 more. Thus, there will now be a total of 44 posts for the academy," the minister said.
He said forest officials will also be rendered technical and in-service training and new courses will be added periodically.
"Also, workers from NGOs, administrative staff and higher rank officers of the forest department, as well as the public will be given training on biodiversity, environment, conservation of forests, Ayurveda," Mungantiwar said.

He said that the state has decided to adopt a new bamboo policy to increase their plantation and yield.
Mungantiwar said the Burud community that earns livelihood by making bamboo articles, will now be given at least 1,500 bamboos per family.