Raipur, January 13, 2026/ The Forest and Climate Change Department of Chhattisgarh has received two prestigious honors in the Chief Minister’s Excellence Awards for the year 2025–26. The department was given these honors for the excellent implementation of its two important and innovation-based initiatives: FDS 2.0 (e-Kuber Digital Payment System) and the Wildlife (Elephant) Tracking and Alert System. FDS 2.0 (eKuber Digital Payment System) Transparency and speed in payment system: FDS 2.0 is a modern digital payment system through which all financial activities of the Forest Department are directly linked to the e-Kuber platform. With this arrangement, the payment process has become completely digital, and transparency has increased. The possibility of human error has been reduced, and the speed of payments for works, schemes, and employees has increased. This innovation has enhanced efficiency in the department’s administrative tasks and simplified and streamlined payment-related work for common citizens. Wildlife (Elephant) Tracking and Alert System – Relief in human-elephant conflicts: This system, developed by the Forest Department, is based on modern technology through which the movements of elephants are monitored in real-time. Through this initiative, timely alerts are sent to citizens living in forest areas, and villagers receive information before a potential danger. Human-elephant conflict has decreased, and both wildlife conservation and rural security have received strong support. This system makes the department’s wildlife management more scientific, safe, and public-friendly. Result of Leadership and Teamwork: Departmental leadership played a significant role behind these two achievements. Forest Minister Mr. Kedar Kashyap congratulated all departmental officers for this achievement. It is noteworthy that the guidance, encouragement of innovation, and special focus on performance by ACS Mrs. Richa Sharma, PCCF and HoFF Mr. Srinivas Rao, PCCF (Wildlife) Mr. Arun Pandey, and officers Mrs. Shalini, Mrs. Satovisha, and Mr. Varun were commendable. The entire team of the department worked together to successfully implement these initiatives, resulting in two significant honors for the department. New Direction to Good Governance and Innovation: These honors from the Chief Minister’s Excellence Award demonstrate that the Forest Department is making continuous progress toward transparent governance, technology-based solutions, citizen-centric services, and effective wildlife management. This achievement further strengthens the department’s commitment to prioritizing good governance, innovation, and public interest in the state.
