CM Chouhan lauds increase in state’s extremely dense forest area by 2437 square kilometers
Tuesday - February 16, 2021 11:29 pm ,
Category : BHOPAL
Instructions to increase employment in forest based activities and sale of forest produce
Bhopal 16 February 2021: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has appreciated the efforts of the Forest Committees and the Forest Department on the increase in the extremely dense forest area in the state by 2437 square kilometers i.e. 2 lakh 43 thousand 700 hectares. He said this is a big achievement for the state. This fact has been demonstrated in the report of the Forest Survey of India 2019. According to the Forest Survey of India, in the year 2005, the very dense forest area in the state was 4239 square kilometers, which has increased to 6676 square kilometers i.e. 6 lakh 67 thousand 600 hectares in 2019. Chief Minister Chouhan was reviewing the works of the Forest Department in the Mantralaya today.
Chief Minister Chouhan also appreciated the works of forest committees on increase in forest cover with community participation. He said the forest committees that worked to increase forest cover will be encouraged and rewarded. Forest committees will be strengthened. Chief Minister Chouhan said that he himself will inspect the forests developed by the forest committees that do better work in the expansion of forest cover.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that along with increase in forest cover, employment opportunities should be increased in forest based activities and collection and sale of forest produce. It was informed at the meeting that an action plan to provide 100 days employment to seven lakh 68 thousand persons has been prepared, which will be implemented from April 1, 2021. A micro-management plan of 317 village forest committees has been prepared.
Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, Principal Secretary Forest Ashok Varnwal, Forest Secretary Ajay Yadav, Secretary to Chief Minister M. Selvendran and Forest Department officials were present in the meeting.
Minimum Support Price of Small Forest Produce
The minimum support price for 32 minor forest produce has been declared in the state. Information about support price is being given to villagers.
Ex-gratia grant will increase
The ex-gratia grant amount of the dependants of deceased forest workers will be increased from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakhs.
Plantation of minor forest produce species will increase
Plantation of minor forest produce will be increased from 5 percent to 10 percent in departmental plantations under the sustainable management of minor forest produce.
Buffer mein safar begins
Day and night safari, hot air balloon and scaffolding activities have been started in the buffer zone under “Buffer mein safar”.
Tiger project
Tigers will be rehabilitated in the developed habitat of Sanjay and Satpura tiger projects. Similarly, 56 chital in Gandhi Sagar and 318 chital in Nauradehi have been restored for tiger restoration in Gandhi Sagar and Nauradehi.
Leopard State
After tiger state, Madhya Pradesh has now become a leopard state with 26 percent leopards. The number of leopards in India is 12852 with 3721 in Madhya Pradesh alone.
It was informed in the meeting that the target is to provide 25 thousand beneficiaries with year-round employment through the promotion and marketing of small forest produce through 86 Van-Dhan Kendras. For the quality enhancement of bamboo, 20 bamboo clusters will be systematically developed.
Eco tourism
As many as 129 sites have been selected for eco-tourism. Forest committees are being given priority in conducting eco-tourism activities. So far 350 persons have got employment in eco tourism. The long-term goal is to employ 1300 people – Window to News
