Good news has arrived for West Bengal Forest Department employees ahead of Durga Puja. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a substantial salary hike starting this October. The increased amounts will be credited directly to the staff's accounts. Under the revised pay structure, the monthly salaries of 500 Range Officers, 500 Beat Officers, and 650 Forest Guards will rise by ₹5,000, while the monthly pay for 1,500 Forest Assistants (Bana Sahayaks) will increase by ₹2,000.
Alongside the welfare measure, the Chief Minister launched the state's afforestation initiative under the national 'A Tree in the Name of Mother' ('Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam') campaign. Target set for this year involves planting 10 crore trees across West Bengal, with 1 lakh trees earmarked for Bhavanipur and 50,000 planted in that region alone. Comparing the effort to Uttar Pradesh's target of planting 26 crore trees, the government stressed that all planted saplings will be strictly maintained for at least two years to ensure high survival rates.
In addition to ecological conservation, several state initiatives were highlighted during the address, including the release of a tiger in the Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2 and the establishment of a new aquarium at Alipore. Emphasizing state-wide environmental freedom, the government called for active participation from local administration and public departments to rebuild forest wealth and safeguard wildlife.