Ramanath Rai Inaugurates Salumarada Thimmakka Tree Park at Badgabettu
Udupi: Measures have been taken to make the Forest Department people friendly, said B Ramanath Rai, Minister of Forests and Environment. He was speaking after inaugurating the Salumarada Thimmakka Tree Park at Badgabettu near Manipal on Saturday, February 24.
After becoming the forest minister of Karnataka I have tried to make many changes in the forest department. The State government has introduced medals for the forest department personnel on the lines of the police medals to accord due recognition to the frontline staff engaged in the conservation and protection and also for the distinguished services rendered in the Forest Department. This will be a boost to the morale of the frontline staff guarding the forest wealth, the government will also financially and through other means support the families of those martyred and take care of their education.
The state government is making all efforts to conserve the forests in the state. In a bid to increase the green cover, the State government has embarked on tree parks in all the assembly constituencies of the State. Named after environmentalist Salumarada Thimakka. The tree park will be developed. He said that not only planting, but attempts should be made to see that the plants grow, to increase the green cover. To save trees, the department is providing LPG connections to residents around the forest areas. The public should also join hands with the Forest Department in conserving the forest, he added.
The Kaup MLA Vinay Kumar Sorake presided over the function. Grama panchayat president Shantharam Shetty, TP members Laxminarayana Prabhu, Sandhya Shetty, Chief forest conservator Brijesh Kumar, Dr Sanjay Bijoor, Ganesh Bhat, Zonal forest officer Clifford Lobo and others were present.