Introduction
A Forest Beat Officer (FBO)/Assistant Beat Officer (ABO) is a forest guard who is primarily responsible for the forests, environment and wildlife-related issues of a forest within a state or Union Territory of India.
FBO Duties
APPSC - FBO Profile - Roles and Responsibilities:
- Forest Beat officers should know the boundaries of the beat thoroughly to prevent encroachment and protect his Beat against injury from fire or other causes.
- A beat officer should petrol the forests constantly in his Beat to prevent offenses, and where the offenses are detected he/she must record the offense in the Form – A and submit it promptly to Range Officer.
- A beat officer should maintain the boundary lines and boundary marks in forest blocks in proper order and repair.
- A beat officer should cut creepers and climbers during his perambulation in the Forests.
- A beat officer should keep the signboards and name boards of forests, Plantation in good condition and repair.
- A beat officer should check forest produce in transit and see that the forest produce is not removed except in accordance with the transit rules.
- A beat officer should control and supervise over such of the works as ordered by Section Officer and Range Officer. Beat officer should carry out Silvicultural works such as sowing, Plantings, nursery works, Collection of seeds, Creeper cutting, pruning, thinning and other cultural operations as ordered by Section Officer and Range Officer.
- A beat officer should wear his uniform whenever on duty and carry the different forms (A.B.C.), diary book, bill book, beat map etc.,
- A beat officer should affix on illicitly cut stumps of trees in the forest, a hammer mark prescribed for the purpose, make a note of the exact locality, description and number of such stumps in his diary book and report about them to the Range Officer. Where such hammer marks are not found and when to reference to the report made can be produced, it will be presumed that the Forest Guard has failed to petrol and perform his functions properly.
- A beat officer should submit all his reports to the Section Officer and the Range Officer promptly and submit his weekly diaries promptly.
ABO Duties
APPSC - ABO Profile - Roles and Responsibilities:
- Assistant Beat Officers are assigned to each territorial beat, to assist the Forest Guard in his duties.
- ABO should proceed along with the guard for patrolling and assist him in detecting offences and apprehending offenders.
- ABO should learn the silvicultural operation being carried out in the beat, and should supervise the works as per instructions of guard, Section Officer and Range Officer.
- ABO should wear uniform whenever on duty, and carry a bill-book map, report book along with him.
- ABO should prevent fires in Forests of his beats, and assist the guard in maintenance of fire lines, boundary marks etc., and ABO should attend to all other duties as may be assigned to him by his superior Officer.