Odisha CM reviews activities of Forest Department

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the achievements of the major projects of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department of the last four years in the 3rd floor Conference Hall of Lokaseva Bhawan today.

After the review meeting Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Pradip Kumar Amat said that under the State Government Manifesto-2019 commitment, 49 eco-tourism sites have been developed and made operational and 6 more new sites are under pipeline. Local communities of 650 villages of the state have been directly involved in the said projects in which annual revenue generation of 13 crore rupees has been made possible.

Under 5T charters the Department has done amendment of Odisha Forest Department code, development of eco-tourism, development of natural parks in Bharatpur and Chandka sanctuaries, prevention of human-elephant conflict, crackdown on single use of plastic, establishment of 14000 hectares land bank etc. have been successfully completed, stated Minister Amat.

The Department has successfully implemented major projects and increased 537 square km of forest cover and 356 square km of tree cover in the State which increased in the forest cover of 33.5% and the tree cover of 36.71% of the total geographically area of the State and ranks 3rd and 2nd respectively in the entire Country. Also, Odisha has ranked the first place due to the increase of Mangrove forest of 8 square km in the entire country, he informed.

As a successful implementation of the afforestation program, a total of 371,163 hectares of plantation has been done in the state including 16,346 running km of Avenue Plantation and during this time 14.4 crore saplings have been planted and 11.04 crore saplings distributed.

A total of 61,204 square km area of the state has been surveyed under Geo-referencing with the joint efforts of the Forest and Revenue Department. Till today, a re-notification of 265 forest blocks have been issued. Our State stands first in the country for such Geo-referencing survey.

As many as 820 families have been voluntarily relocated from the areas of National Park and sanctuaries by providing an additional grant of Rs 5.00 lakhs over and above the provisions of NTCA guidelines in which the Shimilipal Tiger Project of the state has been placed in the Excellent Category of the country.

With the orders of the Chief Minister, the amount of compensation for the victims of human-wildlife conflict has been increased significantly. It has been notified for compassionate grant Rs 6.00 lakhs for human kill, Rs 1.5 lakhs for less than 60% of physical injured, Rs 2.5 lakhs for more than 60% of physical injured, Rs 5000 to 10,000 for treatment of the injured. Besides, Rs.37,500 for death of cow, Rs.32,000 for death of ox/bull, from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per acre for crop damage, allotment of Biju Pakka Ghara or equivalent + Rs.20,000 additional amount for full damage house and Rs 10,000 for partially damaged house.

Very recently, as per the kind announcement of the Chief Minister, Odisha, a Notification has been issued to provide assistance amounting to Rs.194 crore to the Kendu Leaf beneficiaries which has been benefited 7.75 lakhs kendu Leaf pluckers and 40,000 binders and seasonal staff. Total financial support in the 2022 crop year is a record amount of Rs 194 crore.

In the financial year 2023-24, a new scheme namely “Mukhyamantri Kendu Leaf Welfare Fund with a budgetary provision of Rs.50 crore has been introduced to reimburse the cost due to imposition of GST on Kendu Leaf trade.

Odisha Forest Development Society (OFSDS) has implemented Ama Jungle Yojana (AJY), Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project-II, OMBADC Livelihood Development Project, etc.

Under the said project, 6016 Vana Surakhya Samiti (VSS), 21273 Self Help Groups (SHG) and CIGs are working and are sustaining their livelihood.

Odisha Biodiversity Board has been established and already 7256 numbers of Biodiversity Committees have been formed at Gram Panchayat level. In the year 2022-23, Mahendragiri and Gandhamardan hill have been declared as Biodiversity Heritage Sites.

Further, Kenduleaf ex-gratia sanctioned is record high in a Kenduleaf crop year. The convergence of other Development schemes with Ama Jungle Yojana other departments is commendable. Department proactively facilitating developmental projects duly ensuring mitigative measures, expressed Shri Amat in the Press Conference.

As per Chief Minister direction,  Bhitarkanika, Chilika, Similipal, Chandaka and Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary to be developed with visible improvement with best wildlife sites and tourists destinations. Adequate ongoing efforts to develop Nandankanan Zoological Park as a world class zoo. Eco-tourism to be developed further with community involvement. With the own cost, the State Government will do population estimation of tiger and elephant in the Odisha, signed off Minister Amat.

Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrata Sahu, PCCF and Head of Forest Force Debidutta Biswal, PCCF (Wildlife) Sushil Kumar Popli, PCCF (Kenduleaf) Pushajule Mecro answered the questions of the journalists in the Press Conference.

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