Over the last 15 days, Maoists have torched five forest beat offices and two range offices. They have even attacked a deer park in Jhargram and set it on fire after shooting two blackbucks.

“All forest offices operate in very remote areas in the Jhargram-Lalgarh belt,” said Atanu Raha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

Earlier, there were no instances of attacks. But now, the Maoists have changed their strategy and every day a forest office is being ransacked and set on fire, he said.

“There is no security and we may close all forest offices and withdraw our staff for as long as the situation does not improve,” he said. “Discussions are on with the forest department authorities on this matter.”

The police say they are unable to provide security to the forest department staff. “We are facing a huge crunch of forces,” an officer said.

Early on Wednesday, the Maoist-backed Sidhu-Kanhu Gana Militia ransacked the Parihati range office in Jhargram and assaulted ranger Pratap Acharya when they failed to get hold of government funds he had in his office. The money had already been shifted in view of the targeted attacks on forest establishments, said a forest official.

The Maoists beat up Acharya with wooden planks and he is in a critical condition.

Over the last few weeks, Maoists and members of the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocity (PCAPA) have torched five forest offices in Sankhahar, Binpur, Goaltore, Jhitka and Parihati.

The forest offices generate a lot of employment in the area under the NREGS and a senior administration official said the decision to shut them will have an adverse effect on the livelihood of villagers.

“Under the NREGA, there are jobs involving soil conservation, rainwater harvesting, ground water recharging and afforestation,” he said.