3.  TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND WORKSHOPS

            During the year under report, the Centre organised six training programmes in three states of north-east India. These programmes were attended by 246 forest officials and 57 JFMC members (Table1). A brief account of the training-workshops is given in the subsequent paragraphs.

Table 1: Number of forest officials and JFMC members trained in different training programmes/workshops organised by the Regional Centre during 2005-2006.

3.2       Training workshop for selected FDA and JFMC officials for afforestation and eco-restoration of fragile areas, such as highly degraded shifting cultivation areas and mining areas under NAP in Assam.

A three-day Workshop was held during 8^th-10^th June 2005 at the Assam Forest Guard School, Makum Tinsukia District. The workshop was inaugurated by Shri. S. Pathak, Member, Advisory Management Committee of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Tinsukia. Shri G. N. Adhikary, Chief Executive Officer, Digboi Forest Development Agency and Divisional Forest Officer, Logging Division, Tinsukia in his inaugural speech welcomed all the dignitaries and participants in the Workshop. The Chief Guest Sri R. P. Agarwalla, IFS Nodal Officer, F. D. A. Assam cum Chief Conservator of Forests (S.F) Assam outlined the objective of the workshop. The Workshop was divided into four technical sessions with one day field visit to three JFMC villages and plantation site of Coal India Ltd. Mrs. Carin. I. Fischer, Director, Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs (NGO), the Chief Conservator of Forest, Social Forestry, Assam, the Research Officer, Regional Centre, NAEB, Shillong, the Conservator of Forests, Eastern Assam Circle and the Environment Adviser, Premier Oil Ltd. Digboi were in the workshop as resource persons. The participants included 11 DFOs, 28 Forest Officials of the rank of ACF, Range Officer, Deputy Ranger and Forester, five JFMs representatives and one NGO representative. The topics on which discussions were held in the technical sessions were as follows:

i.                     Rehabilitation technique for degraded forest land

ii.                   Activities of Premier Oil Ltd., Coal India Ltd. and Oil India Ltd., in Upper Assam area

iii.                  Corporate responsibility and Joint Forest Management

iv.                 Discussion on the findings of the field visit.

The participants took keen interest in the discussions and they learnt a lot through sharing of their experiences. The workshop was concluded on 10^th June, 2005 with a note of success and enthusiasm amongst the participants. The following resolutions were adopted in the Workshop:

·  The Corporate sectors and the Forest Department should jointly work for preservation, conservation and development of existing forest area and for socio-economic development of the local villages particularly JFMC villages.

·  It was resolved that villagers’ needs should be looked into and their views and suggestion may be incorporated while preparing the plans.

·  Awareness programme should be taken up for greater involvement of the villagers.

·  Indigenous plant species including those with medicinal properties should be grown in JFMC villages for short term financial benefit.

·  The workshops of similar nature should be organized more frequently for better understanding of the officials involved in FDA activities.