Kolkata: The state forest department has started reverting to its century-old green-and-maroon colour scheme, replacing the green-and-blue combination that was introduced in Aug, 2018 when Trinamool Congress-led govt was in office.Though there has been no official communication whether the change will also be extended to signages across its field establishments, there is a visible comeback of the old colour scheme. During a department-organised plantation drive on Saturday, TOI spotted green-and-maroon stickers bearing the department’s name on planters having plants along a roadside kerb on a central Kolkata footpath.This development has led to a speculation whether the department is preparing for a wider restoration of its previous visual identity, including the replacement of signboards at over 250 range and 600 beat offices across the state. No forest department official was available for an immediate comment on whether a formal notification has been issued or instructions circulated to replace the existing signages. The old colour scheme symbolises the soil and the trees it nurtures. It was followed as a convention for most of the country.In 2018, the then head of forest force, N K Pandey, had said blue was opted for as the colour conveys the message of water conservation. An internal communication announcing the change was emailed to Aranya Bhavan officials on Aug 17 that year. The department had then proposed replacement of the existing signboards within a fortnight. The decision, reported by TOI back then, had surprised officials for the exercise’s vast scale.A reversal now would involve more than a cosmetic change, given the spread of the department’s administrative network, from divisional and range offices to beat-level establishments. It could also entail substantial expenditure for replacement of signboards and other display material, depending on the extent of the exercise.
