Forest range officer
Forest Range Officer / Ranger / Forest Circle Officer (Hindi: वन क्षेत्राधिकारी) is an officer for a State Forest Service (SFS) in the Government of India. In some states, they also are referred to as a "Range Forest Officer." (Hindi: क्षेत्रीय वनाधिकारी)
Forest Range Officer is a Gazetted Officer. He or she wears a prescribed khaki uniform which has 3 three (five pointed) stars on shoulder.
FRO is an administrative officer. He or she is equivalent to Tahsildar or Circle Officers in the administrative domain and Deputy Superintendent of Police with three stars without any stripes in Police. Forest Rangers are state forest officers who belong to the provincial forest forces, either direct entrants at that rank or promoted from Deputy Rangers. Officers recruited by State Public Service Commissions receive this rank directly.
Forest Range Officers/Forest Rangers are also known as a Green Soldiers/Green Warriors.
Accountability
Forest range officers are responsible for the forests, environment and wildlife-related issues of a Forest Range within a state or union territory of India. He or she is responsible for the execution of all works in the Range, with the help of subordinates:
- Forest Deputy Rangers (also known as Forest inspector )
- Forest Section Officers (also known as Van Daroga)
- Forest Beat Officers (In the rank of Forester 1)
- Forest Guards
- Forest workers/ watchers
Training
RFOs are invariably trained in forestry and allied subjects in forest academies or forest rangers colleges established and administered by the Government of India or the State Government, as the case may be. The training course of Forest Range Officers is prescribed by the Government of India. The training duration is of 18 months which includes about 19 subjects related to forestry, Biodiversity etc. It also includes 6 months all India tour. It is a ceartment of Forestry Education (DFE) runs 3 training institutes in Assam, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu for both ACF and FRO and one institution exclusively for FRO training in West Bengal. Many states also having their own institutions under the strict supervision of DFE.
Detailed responsibilities
They have to undergo training in one of the Central Forest Training Academies or any of the State Forest Training Academies.
Forest Range Officer is the officer in executive charge of the Range and he or she is responsible for the efficient management of the Range, for the custody and condition of all Government Property in his charge and for the discipline, conduct and work of all his subordinate staff. He or she is responsible for the execution of all works in the Range, with the help of subordinates Forest Deputy Rangers, Forest Section Officers, guards and watchers, according to the instructions and orders of the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) and/or Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).
He or she is responsible for the collection and credit of Forest Revenue and for prompt and correct payment of all sums due for the works executed. He or she must carry out his inspections in detail and see that all these subordinates do their work properly.
In the event serious misconduct of any subordinate, the Range Officers should report the case to Divisional Forest Officer for disciplinary action.
He should maintain all accounts, relating to revenue, expenditure, timber and other forest produce, and submit his accounts and reports punctually to Division Office. He or she should take effective measures to protect the forest Wealth in his custody.
Where illicit fellings are observed, the stumps should be examined to find out if they bear the impression of the Guard's hammer mark and if they were reported through Guard's dairy book and Preliminary Offence Report (POR).
Range Officer is responsible for the protection and he or she should investigate Forest Offences in his or her Range, and file charge sheets for the cases ordered for prosecution by Divisional Forest Officer.
FRO is responsible for the correct posting of works Registers, ledgers Journals, Plantation registers and other stationary registers maintained in the Range. FRO should always wear the prescribed khaki uniform whenever he or she is on duty and should ensure that Rangers, Section Officers, guards and watchers wear their uniforms when on duty.
All correspondence connected with the works in the Range should pass through Forest Range officer or other superior. Officer may do so only through him or her.
Court summons issued to any subordinate should similarly be served through the Forest Range Officer, who has to arrange for the duties of the subordinate being carried out during his or her absence.
A Forest Ranger must be Graduate in Science(B.SC, BE, BVSC & AH etc), trained in forestry( 2years) from the Dehradun Forest Education (DFE), Govt of India run Colleges and very specialised in soil conservation, watershed management, logging management , mountaineering, wildlife management etc., the duties and responsibilities including management of Government Forest and also (i) Protection of forest from human, natural and allied damages. (ii) Scientifical Manangent of Forest through creation, maintenance and improvement of Forests. (iii) To Conduct Silvicultural Operation and Collection of Govt Revenue. (iv) Function of sub-treasury officer in respect of all expenses amounting to lakhs in a year in forest range. (v) Duties of Inspector of Police in respect of detection of crimes, arrest of offenders, investigation of offences, cases prosecuting and compounding offence cases. (vi) Afforestation works in raising nursery and plantation etc. (vii) Soil Conservation works in the area of river valley catchment including watershed management. (viii) National Park/ Tiger Reserve/ wildlife Sanctuary Management. (ix) Planning and Executing of Engineering works like road, ropeways, bridges, building, dams, irrigation, water supply etc. (x) Surveying and levelling works. (xi) Management of offices and human resources development. (xii) Overall responsibility of all natural properties, works, management of range. (xiii) Public relation. (xiv) Engaged 24 hrs.
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