The State Government has prepared a roadmap for intensive plantation under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) during the next financial year.
Different departments have been asked to develop smooth convergence mechanism of departmental schemes with MGNREGS for augmentation of better outcome. Departments of Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Horticulture and Forest and Environment have been directed to work out a convergence plan to avoid any possible delay in the process and have better outcome.
Official sources said an initial target has been set to achieve plantation in 93,500 hectares during the coming year. In addition, a target has been set to have avenue plantation along 3,000 km of PMGSY roads. Out of this target, Forest department will take up plantation in 57,000 hectares, Horticulture department in 29,000 hectares, Soil Conservation department in 7,000 hectares and Odisha Tribal Empowerment Livelihood Programme (OTELP) will have plantation in 500 watershed areas.
Plantation under MGNREGS has been taken up from last year. Mostly plants like cashew, mango, lime, orange and banana were taken up under the scheme.
Nurseries were raised and the survival rate of the plants have been 95 per cent.
The departments have been asked to take up plantation as a year-long activity and not to confine it only to the season. Local communities and Gram panchyatas and Vana Sanrakshyana Samitis would be taken into confidence for this massive work. They have been asked to prepare a three-year perspective plan and requirement of funds in advance.
Also they have been asked to have an inter-departmental coordinating mechanism and meet all the queries by filed level officials through joint video conferencing and circulars.
It has been decided that district-level officers will be authorised to sanction the financial estimate of the plantation project as per approved financial norms.