Gujarat sanctions Rs 50 lakh for family of forest officer killed in accident while chasing ‘wood smugglers’

The Gujarat government has allocated Rs 50 lakh to the family of Vikas Desai, a Range Forest Officer (RFO) who lost his life in an accident in Tapi district while pursuing a truck suspected of smuggling catechu. This decision came after a State Level Committee recommended financial assistance for Desai's family through the Benevolent Fund for forest officials.

A senior officer from the Forest & Environment Department confirmed that the State Level Committee, headed by the Principal Secretary (Forest & Environment), made the recommendation, which was subsequently approved at the minister level on August 9. Desai, 32, served as the RFO in the Tapi Range of the district. On July 20, based on a tip-off, Desai was in pursuit of a truck believed to be carrying illicit catechu.

During the chase, a collision occurred, resulting in Desai's immediate demise. The truck's driver was also killed in the incident. Catechu, extracted from the khair wood, holds significant value in traditional medicine and is in high demand. Desai, originally from Bhatsar village in Patan district, was laid to rest in Ahmedabad, where his family consists of his wife, a five-year-old son, and parents.

Prior to his appointment as an RFO, Desai had worked as a Deputy Section Officer in the State Secretariat, Gandhinagar, and joined the Forest Department three years prior.