BENGALURU: With the first-ever green budget allocation of Rs 100 crore to the forest department for economic ecological losses, department officials have reset their priorities, reduced the number of projects and shrunk their focus as the money allocated has been much lesser than Rs 2,500 crore demanded during a pre-budget presentation to CM Basavaraj Bommai.
The money will be utilised for greening dry grasslands, eastern plains and regions in north Karnataka, which have been adversely affected because of drought, recent flooding, dry arid climate and improper management by local administrations and forest officials over the years.
“With a projected outlay of Rs 2,500 crore, we wanted to utilise the amount for welfare schemes and to revive lost landscapes in the Western Ghats and across the state. But we are happy that we have got Rs 100 crore besides the annual budget allocation,” a senior forest department official.
The official said the money will be utilised for raising seedlings for farmers, hand-holding them in protection, greening wastelands and increasing the green cover in the state. Planting of saplings and choice of species will be done based on the requirements of the region, he added.
“Forest Minister Umesh V Katti too has shown some pockets in Vijayapura, Belagavi and north Karnataka which need to be greened. The areas that are away from the Western Ghats and little attention has been paid to, will now be addressed. Flood-affected regions of north Karnataka too will be greened.
We are clear that the amount will be used for works different from the projects planned under the annual budget. We had a long list of 15 agendas and it has now been reduced to two,” the official stated.