Bhubaneswar: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has raised serious concerns over the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department’s procurement of firearms and ammunition worth Rs 8.62 crore despite the absence of adequately trained personnel to operate them. The issue surfaced during a review conducted by the Principal Accountant General. The audit found that the department procured weapons and ammunition without ensuring the availability of trained personnel, allegedly violating provisions under Odisha General Financial Rules (OGFR), 2023.
According to the audit, forest personnel deployed in wildlife conservation areas were required to undergo arms training before any procurement. A committee comprising representatives from the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy and senior forest officials was also supposed to assess existing weapon inventories and determine actual requirements before approving new purchases.
However, the review revealed that several divisions lacked trained personnel. Notably, Jharsuguda and Khariar forest divisions reportedly had no trained staff at all. The CAG questioned how the costly firearms and ammunition would be utilised in the absence of qualified personnel. The matter has been brought to the notice of the department’s Principal Secretary and the Chief Secretary. The audit also noted that government rules require purchases to be based on assessed necessity and quantity to prevent avoidable expenditure and ensure prudent use of public funds. Records show that both the Director General of Police (DGP) and Additional DGP had advised against keeping firearms idle for long periods and stressed the need for regular training before procurement.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Cuttack, had also recommended that only pistols and revolvers be used for training purposes, while the use of other weapons required prior approval from the DGP. Subsequently, the PCCF, in consultation with DGP and IG (Provisioning), decided that revolvers and pistols would be used primarily by senior officers such as deputy rangers and range officers. Foresters and forest guards were also to receive training for maintenance and emergency use of such weapons. DFOs were directed to coordinate with SPs for regular training through police firing ranges. However, the CAG found that the PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden failed to ensure training at the field level and proceeded with procurement without committee recommendations.
On December 11, 2023, funds amounting to Rs 7.17 crore were released to 51 DFOs for purchasing 9-mm pistols, pump-action guns and 5.56-mm rifles. An additional Rs 1.12 crore was sanctioned February 5, 2024, citing an increase in unit prices, taking the total allocation to Rs 8.29 crore. The audit further noted that approval was granted for ammunition procurement from the Khadki Ammunition Factory in Pune. “Despite the expenditure, overall firearms and ammunition worth Rs 8.62 crore remain unusable due to the absence of trained personnel,” it said. Raising serious concerns over the procurement of firearms and ammunition worth Rs 8.62 crore without ensuring the availability of trained personnel to operate them, the auditor observed that the procurement violated directions issued by the Chief Secretary and reflected poor planning, leading to wastage of public funds. It also warned that prolonged storage without maintenance could degrade the quality of the costly equipment.