Forestry students call off stir

BHUBANESWAR: The students of College of Forestry of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) on Wednesday called off their 80-day strike.The decision came after Environment and Forest Minister Debi Prasad Mishra sought three months time for a fresh notification on reservation of 50 per cent range officer posts for forestry graduates. Reservation in the posts of range officers in the Forest department for B.Sc. Forestry degree holders was earlier approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Following frequent agitations over the demand by the students of College of Forestry of OUAT, a committee was formed by the Forest department. The committee had earlier submitted the proposal for reservation to  the Chief Minister and the same was approved recently.The approval notwithstanding, students were continuing their strike in front of the Assembly in the absence of a notification.As the gazette notification of the service rules is a lengthy process, a minimum of three months would be required, the Minister said at a Press conference. On the other hand, OUAT Vice-Chancellor D P Ray said that admission of new batches of B.Sc. Forestry and recruitment of teaching staff to the forestry college will be put on hold till the gazette notification of the government order is out.