Massive Afforestation Drive

The state government has decided to undertake a massive plantation program in the state, and also expand the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board by filling up existing vacancies in various categories available under direct recruitment in the forest department.

As many as 90 new technical posts for Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board have been created under the initiative to control the rising levels of pollution. The posts of 2 joint chief environmental engineers, 4 senior environmental engineers, 6 environmental engineers, 27 assistant environmental engineers and 8 junior scientific officers have come into existence.

Through direct recruitment, 38 non-technical jobs would be filled up, said Minister For Forests and Environment Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy at the state Secretariat on Monday.

Reddy revealed that Chief Minister K Rosaiah had agreed to fill up the above 128 (90 plus 38) posts in the APPCB for its effective administration.

Rosaiah has also agreed to fill up 517 posts - 128 forest section officers, 162 forest beat officers and 227 assistant beat officers. A notification to this effect had already been issued, the minister said.

Reddy also stressed on the need to bring down pollution levels, and revealed that the government had taken up a massive plantation program in villages and panchayats.

The Chief Minister has also decided to sanction 3386 posts, notable among them are 134 forest range officers, 714 forest section officers, 2138 forest beat officers and 400 assistant beat officers. The file has been sent to finance department for examination.

The minister said that once the finance department concurred, the vacancies would be filled up.

Further, 1184 assistant beat officers' posts were to be filled up in Telangana region, and the file had been sent to the finance department, Reddy said.

Reddy also revealed that over 17,000 saplings would be planted in 3 years.

To meet this requirement 3,000 nurseries will be set up in the state. Apart from this, the services of JNTU students will be roped in to increase the awareness programme.

Overall, there is a need to have over 1 million plantations to contain pollution.

Courtesy: INN