Srinagar:The Jammu and Kashmir government Tuesday asked the forest department to constitute Village-level Forest Committees (VFCs) for protection of forests in the state.
Commissioner Secretary Forests, Environment & Ecology, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi who reviewed the functioning of the territorial forest divisions of this province here at a meeting of senior functionaries of the forest department, asked them to constitute the Village level Forest Committees (VFCs) at the earliest.
He directed the divisional forest officers (DFOs) to remain vigilant in their respective jurisdiction and keep a close liaison with their counterparts in the district administration.
Dwivedi asserted that the issue of forest land diversion shall be dealt as per law and no agency will be allowed to execute work without approval of the government.
He, however, said the DFOs will expedite all FCA cases as soon as possible with the close cooperation of user agencies.
He stressed on adopting zero tolerance towards forest land encroachment and dereliction in duty on behalf of the field staff.