Bhubaneswar: Following a serious attack on senior forest officials inside the Nandankanan Zoological Park, the Forest Department has decided for deployment of retired army personnel inside the zoo.
Speaking to the media here, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Susanta Nanda today informed that retired army officials will be deployed immediately. The armed personnel will roam inside the zoo to provide security inside the campus, he said.
Apart from that the Forest Department will also request the State Government to deploy Odisha Industrial Security Force (OISF) inside the zoo so that no one will feel insecure in the zoological park. The Forest Department will bear the cost, the PCCF Shri Nanda said.
Besides, a plan is there to provide an alternative road to the inside village from Daruthenga, he informed.
Soon after the incident in which two miscreants attacked the senior forest officials, Chief Secretary PK Jena and ACS Forest and Environment, Satyabrata Sahu visited Nandankanan and reviewed the situation. These visits have enhanced the confidence of the forest officials working there, PCCF Shri Nanda said.
He further informed that the Police have also taken strong action by arresting the two miscreants in just one day. Both were arrested and serious charges have been levelled against the duo, the PCCF said.
If any departmental official will be found involved in the attack, he/she will also face strong action, warned PCCF Wild Life Shri Nanda.
In a very disturbing incident at the Zoological Park, two miscreants created a terror and damaged office equipment last Monday evening. Both the criminals were arrested last Tuesday.
The two miscreants stormed into the office of Deputy Director with weapons. They unleashed a state of terror in the office, especially in the chambers of ACF (SM), ACF (VM), and office corridor.
They manhandled Dr. Rajesh Mahapatra, biologist, Dr. Sudipta Kumar Panda, ACF (SBG), Dr. Rashmi Ranjan Swain, ACF (SM), and Ashuthosh Campa, audit officer in the F&E Department.
Numerous office assets, including computers, laptops, printers, TV, and furniture, were destroyed. They also destroyed the laptop and mobile phones of the above said audit officer also.
