BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has utilised Rs 860 crore out of the fund available under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in activities other than plantation in 2018-19.
The State had taken up 678 projects worth Rs 1,550 crore like drinking water, housing, skill development and afforestation activities. While 244 drinking water projects were taken up for supply of piped water to 640 villages in mining affected areas, funds have been sanctioned for construction of 29,829 houses for economically weaker sections in mining areas.
Though the CAMPA fund was created for compensatory afforestation in areas where green cover was destroyed due to intensive mining activities, later the norms were relaxed to expand the area of activities to improve the living condition of people affected by mining.
In the current financial year, the State is reported to have utilised Rs 85 crore out of Rs 215 crore in other activities. The fund utilisation in 2017-18 was Rs 2,565 crore out of project estimate of Rs 4,640 crore sanctioned for 2,228 works.
Odisha is considered to be one of the best performing States in the country in utilisation of CAMPA funds. The State had received Rs 2,644 crore from the Centre during 2009-10 to 2017-18. The entire amount was utilised for activities like compensatory afforestation, forest protection, restoration of water bodies and creation of new ones, wildlife management and community forestry.
The use of CAMPA fund was reviewed at a meeting of State Forest Ministers in New Delhi on Saturday. Chairing the meeting Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar requested all States to utilise CAMPA funds more effectively to improve green cover along with water augmentation in order to improve the quality of forests.
The Centre released CAMPA funds of Rs 47,436 crore for the States in August this year. Odisha received highest amount of Rs 5,933 crore, followed by Chhattisgarh at Rs 5,791 crore and Madhya Pradesh at 5,196 crore.
Meanwhile, the State Government sought annual plan approval worth Rs 592.52 crore from the Centre under CAMPA.