The issue surfaced despite the club introducing a special category for govt officials in the event.
PILIBHIT: Lack of firearm training among Uttar Pradesh’s armed forest personnel came to the fore after they skipped a three-day shooting competition organised by the Pilibhit district rifle club, which concluded on Tuesday.The issue surfaced despite the club introducing a special category for govt officials in the event. Officials said the absence of any provision for bullets for training has meant that armed forest personnel do not carry out mock drills or shooting practice.In contrast, such exercises are routine for other security forces. In sensitive zones such as Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), which share a border with Nepal, the gap becomes more significant.Armed forest personnel in the state, barring the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve — staffed temporarily by PAC personnel — have not undergone regular firearms training.Field director of PTR, PP Singh, said, “Field staff responsible for protecting forests and wildlife from poachers and other criminals receive only a week’s training in firearm operation at the time of recruitment.
Firearms were allotted to the department in 2009-10, but no mock drills or shooting practice have been conducted since then.”Official records show an overall staff shortfall of over 56% in PTR. Among forest guards, frontline wildlife protectors, the shortage is 73%, with only 17 in position against 64 sanctioned posts.A senior lawyer at the Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court, Shashank Singh, said, “The state govt should address this gap on priority as an inefficient forest force cannot cope with challenges related to protection of forests or act as a deterrent.”Divisional forest officer of PTR Manish Singh said, “Although we do not intend to kill wildlife criminals, the force must be prepared to face real challenges. It would help if personnel are allowed to practise shooting on a par with police.”Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Anuradha Vemuri said the state govt is set to launch a project to address these gaps. “The plan will focus on training, modernisation of arms and ammunition, and a roster-based transfer policy for personnel involved in wildlife protection,” she said.
