Shillong, Sept 22: The Meghalaya government has appointed a retired assistant of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) as officer on special duty (OSD) in the Forestry and Agar Plantation Development Authority (FAPDA).

Balbir Singh Gaur’s appointment was approved by the state Cabinet here on Friday to deal with plantation including Agar which are listed as endangered species under the Wildlife Act, 1972.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, chief minister Mukul Sangma said that the cabinet has approved the proposal of the Horticulture department for the appointment of Gurm, a retired WCCB official as OSD in the FAPDA.

“This gentleman has come with his long innings of experiences. This experience is crucial since these plants are governed by relevant laws,” he said.

He said this is to enable trading of such plant species becomes easier for the farmers by enabling to get all necessary support required for doing so from the department.

Stating that the department has also notified Agro Forestry and Agar Plantation Development Authority, he said this particularly authority will provide all the necessary support including legal support to get all permission for harvesting these plants as and when required as per law of the land and enable these farmers to trade on these particular products of these plant species.

According to him, this again is govern by the Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES).

According to the chief minister, the State government has also come up with Promotion of Plantation of Organic Agar and Bamboo and further came up with simplification of various rules for felling of such plants to enable farmers to take advantage of overall renumerative returns from agro forestry.

To regulate the whole plantation, raising of the plant, harvest and trading, we require a person who is acquainted with the various laws governing this species which are listed under endangered species, he added.

Stating that such species cannot be harvested from the forest, Sangma said that the government has come up with the programme that farmers can be encouraged to grow these plants in their private lands and register themselves with the authority.

The farmers will have to declare the number of plants planted and the number of plants that have survived, he added.