Chamarajanagara: The Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT) Forest Department has converted two containers into a forest checkpost and beat office as an experiment. Container offices were set up at the Punajanur inter-state and the Budhipadaga checkposts, respectively.
Vistar Finance Corporation, based in Bengaluru, gifted these containers through its social responsibility fund. This is the first of its kind in the Department of State Government. A kitchen, a hall, a toilet, and a bathroom are all included in the containers.
Earlier, the Department used to spend roughly Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh on RCC checkpost construction, which takes a long time to construct, cure, and so on. However, three people can live in this container office, and the containers can be easily moved to any location.
Speaking to NewsKarnataka BRT Tiger Reserve Deputy Conservator of Forest, Dr. G. Santhosh Kumar said that, “we had an urgent requirement for a beat office in Budhipadaga, but we have no grants for construction.” He said that WMG Wild Life Trust stepped forward at the time to offer beat office. Visatar Finance Corporation agreed to donate containers after the trust approached them.
He said each container and concrete bedding costs Rs. 2.5 lakh. The company bought containers from Maharashtra and spent Rs. 5 lakh for each. He said this is first of its kind in State and it would last for 15 to 20 years. This invention is quite useful for setting up a temporary beat office and rest room in the forest to avoid anti-poaching and illegal activities.
