PRESS RELEASE Arms and Ammunition distributed and New Vehicles flagged off towards Modernisation of Tamil Nadu Forest Force The Hon'ble Minister for Forests, Thiru R. V. Ranjith Kumar, today launched the induction of 250 modern weapons under the Modernisation of Tamil Nadu Forest Force Scheme and flagged off 54 new Mahindra Bolero vehicles procured under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR), aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Under the Leadership of Hon'ble Chief Minister, the Government continues its commitment to Modernise the Tamil Nadu Forest Force. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department's frontline personnel work in some of the State's most remote and challenging landscapes, undertaking anti-poaching patrols, combating wildlife crime, protecting forest boundaries and responding to human-wildlife conflict, often under difficult and high-risk conditions. Operating far from immediate support, they require modern equipment and enhanced operational capabilities to ensure both effective conservation enforcement and their own safety in the line of duty. To further strengthen the operational readiness and safety of frontline staff, the Forest Department has procured 250 modern weapons for deployment across the State. These include 204 twelve-bore pump action guns with side-folding butts, designed for anti-poaching patrols, forest protection, night surveillance and wildlife conflict management, and 46 nine-millimetre automatic pistols with CES equipment for officers engaged in enforcement, supervision, search operations and emergency response. The induction of these advanced weapons will significantly enhance the Department's ability to combat wildlife crime, prevent illegal activities, protect sensitive wildlife habitats and ensure the safety of frontline personnel during high-risk operations. Further strengthening field-level infrastructure, 54 Mahindra Bolero vehicles have been procured under the JICA-assisted TBGPCCR project at a cost of ₹3.91 crore, for deployment across forest divisions in the State. The vehicles will primarily be used by Range Officers and other field officers to improve mobility and operational efficiency in remote forest areas. They will support regular patrolling, monitoring of forests and wildlife habitats, prevention of forest offences, anti-poaching operations, forest fire management, implementation of afforestation and habitat improvement programmes, monitoring of TBGPCCR interventions, and coordination with local communities. The enhanced mobility will also improve response time during emergencies such as forest fires, wildlife conflict situations, encroachments and other illegal activities. These initiatives strengthen the operational capacity of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, enhancing conservation enforcement, frontline safety and protection of the State's forests and wildlife. The programme was held in the presence of Tmt. Supriya Sahu, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, Thiru. Srinivas R. Reddy, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), Thiru. Rakesh Kumar Dogra, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden, Thiru. S. Ramasubramanian, IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Project Director, TBGPCCR, and other senior officers of the Forest Department. Issued By: - DIPR, Secretariat, Chennai – 9