BHUBANESWAR: With deadline of the phase-II of the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP) drawing closer, the government has initiated efforts to introduce phase-III of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted project to continue with its sustainable forest management efforts through community participation.
Accordingly the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department has planned to submit fresh proposal to the Centre in this regard and has also initiated preliminary talks with JICA. A meeting in this regard has already been convened at the government-level recently, while a JICA team also visited the state and held talks with the authorities concerned, a senior forest official informed TNIE.
Sources said, with the deadline of the ongoing OFSDP phase-II ending in March 2027, the Forest department had submitted a proposal to the MoEFCC in February this year, seeking extension of the project till 2030. “It, however, was turned down as the same was needed to be applied six months before the deadline of the project,” an OFSDP official said.
However, another official from the department said a decision has been taken to approach Centre for launch of a fresh project, OFSDP phase-III, as a majority of the target under the existing phase-II has already been achieved. “As we now have nearly one and half years, detail plan and proposal will be readied in this period and submitted to Centre. Simultaneously, talks will be held with JICA to continue its fund support,” the official said.
The OFSDP phase-I was implemented in state from 2006-07 to 2014-15 with a total financial outlay of Rs 802 crore through JICA loan. The agency has also extended a fund support of another Rs 1,000 crore to the ongoing OFSDP phase-II. Under OFSDP, the government has been able to protect forests and revive degraded forests while extending livelihood support to communities in 2,426 forest fringe villages in phase-I and 1,221 villages in phase-II.