Garudakshi, the Forest department’s cloud-based Forest Offence Information Management System, is set to be rolled out in the next three to four months.
Forest officials say Garudakshi could be a game changer for the department in taking forest offence cases to a logical end. The software guides the forest officer or the investigating officer at every step, from filing FIRs to invoking various sections of forest/wildlife protection Acts for building watertight cases. The software will not only help in managing and monitoring forest offences across the state but also aids in improving the conviction rate in cases that are pending in various courts of law.
Another major issue that is expected to be resolved with the implementation of Garudakshi is continuity of the case even after transfer of an officer who filed the case.
The software is being developed in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) under the supervision of the Forest Department’s Information and Communication Technology Centre (ICT). Garudakshi will have two modules of functioning: to take legacy cases to a logical end and to address fresh cases.
Pilot testing
Sources in the ICT informed DH that a majority of the 90,000 plus legacy cases, such as encroachment, poaching, timber, and other wildlife offence cases, have been digitised in the system to ensure regular follow-up and to monitor the progress of the investigation. Further, the department is pilot testing the functioning of software for registering live cases in Belagavi and Shivamogga forest divisions, which regularly report all kinds of forest offence cases.
“Pilot testing of the software is on. In the next three-four months the RFOs and other officials concerned will be trained to use the software. Based on the inputs received from the ground, we will set the system rolling,” says a senior officer.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Subhash Malkhede says, currently collecting and collating information about a case is a challenge in many cases. “With Garudakshi, we can retrieve information on old cases and their current status. There would be no need to depend on the officer who filed the case. The software has been developed in such a way that the incumbent officer gets case notifications and also updates of latest happening in the case.”
Malkhede says once uploading details of forest offence cases becomes mandatory on Garudakshi, it would minimise the procedural lapses from the junior-level officials as the software guides the investigating officer regarding the proper method of collecting field evidence, documents required to strengthen the case, suggesting various section of forest Acts under which the case can be filled and process to be followed while dealing with offenders and seized property. Procedural lapses are one of the major reasons for low conviction of forest offence cases.
Case details
Garudakshi maintains a case diary, which gets updated as and when the investigation progresses and the proceedings of the investigation are captured in the software. Case details can be accessed by concerned officers and over sighting of procedures will be minimised.