CAMPA Okays Rs 513 Cr Plan for Leader Odisha
Published: 13th January 2016 04:43 AM | Last Updated: 13th January 2016 04:43 AM | A+A A-
BHUBANESWAR: The State level steering committee of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has approved an ambitious annual plan of operation (APO) for 2015-16 with a financial outlay of Rs 513 crore.
Claiming that Odisha has emerged as the leading State in implementation of CAMPA and creation of compensatory afforestation with around 96 per cent, Chief Secretary AP Padhi who chaired the meeting said this is the biggest APO in the country for this year.
The earlier target was to create 59,936.52 hectare (ha) compensatory afforestation. In 2014-15, around 53,268.11 ha compensatory afforestation was done recording a performance level of 96 per cent.
“Target has been fixed to complete the balance 4,046.97 ha during 2015-16 APO. Apart from this, security zone plantation and catchment area treatment plantation will be done over 1047 ha, strip plantation will be done over 40,000 kms and 14,750 trees will be planted along roadsides,” Padhi said.
A financial outlay of Rs 52.94 crore has been done for this purpose in the APO of current fiscal.
The meeting decided to set up a forest academy in the State and equip all forest officers training institutes with required materials. Besides, conservation of sacred groves of tribes and supply of ‘Unnata Chulah’ have been included in the annual plan, Additional Chief Conservator of Forests Subash Swain said. It has been targeted to supply 700 ‘Unnata Chulahs’ (improved kitchen stove), each costing Rs 1500, he said adding, about 700 sacred groves will be developed in the current fiscal.
As many as 2161 sacred groves have been identified in the State and a scheme called ‘Integrated Development of Sacred Groves’ has been approved with a financial outlay of Rs 15.96 crore for conservation and development of the places of worship of various tribal communities.
The Chief Secretary directed the Forest Department to accomplish the targets of Ama Jungle Yojana (AMY) by 2019. The State sponsored scheme is being implemented by Government with a total project cost of Rs 117 crore.
The major activities under AMY include survey and demarcation of assigned areas to Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSS), capacity building of VSS and self-help groups (SHGs), implementation of soil and moisture conservation programmes, silviculture operations and setting up of nurseries and their maintenance.
It has been targeted to cover 2000 VSS in 30 forest divisions of the State during 2015-16.
