GUNTUR: Stating that the dedication of the staff working in deep woods is chiefly responsible for the growth of forest cover in the state, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Dr Mohammed Ilyas Rizvi has observed that the government will extend all possible support to the kin of martyrs of the department.Dr Rizvi paid floral tributes to the staffers of the department who laid down their lives in protection of the forests here on the occasion of national forest martyrs day on Tuesday.Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rizvi said that forest staffers particularly guards are serving the nation and nature despite living in most adverse conditions in the deep forests. He assured that they would ensure that the staffers got best available facilities to protect the forests. He said that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had set a target of achieving 50 percent green cover in the state by 2022. “AP has already become number one in increasing the green cover in the country in the last four years. We are confident of achieving the 50 percent green cover by2022 with the support of dedicated staff,” said Dr Rizvi.Chief of forest forces said that they would take stringent measures to protect all wild animals in the forests. He said that the government had already spared additional staff to protect the red sanders, a precious wood available only in AP forests.He said that lack of sufficient green cover is the chief reason for monsoon playing truant with the state. He appealed people to join hands with the government in increasing the green cover. He said that each and every citizen should make it a habit to plant at least four saplings every year and protect them till they grow up. He said that this simple measure would itself change the weather conditions.Dr Rizvi felicitated the family members of 15 staffers who sacrificed their lives during the duty. He promised to resolve their grievances on priority basis. PCCFs Bhaskara Ramamurthy, Nalini Mohan, AK Jha, senior officials Rajeswari, Suman Aleng Tarang, Srinivasa Sastry, divisional forest officer Mohan Rao were also present.

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