MP seeks Rs 700 crore for phase II of Forestry Management Project

The Rs 270 crore first phase of the project, spread over four years, was completed in December. Its main focus was on poverty alleviation through forestry operations.

Talking to newsmen on Tuesday after her visit to different parts of the state, Mott said the preliminary findings of her team indicated “very positive benefits of the project in terms of poverty alleviation, particularly in remote areas.”

She said the first phase had achieved its targetted objectives particularly in developing system, process and skills, and laid the basic foundation to make the economy in the project area sustainable.

She appreciated the participation of the local population in the implementation of the project through about 2000 protection, village forest and eco-development committees.

Mott said the review team, during its field visits, found significant changes in the economic conditions of the people, who mainly comprised tribals, landless and the poorest.

She said the per household increase in income was Rs 2000 per year, which was a remarkable achievement in the project area covering more than two lakh households. The per household income was expected to go up by Rs 4500 per year once the project area became “self-regulatory and self-financing.”

Regeneration of forest in degraded area, increase in production of minor forest produce, bamboo, fodder and rise in water table were among the indicators about the success of the project, she said.

Referring to the institutional transformation in the Forest Department since the launching of the project, she said its traditional regulatory role had given way to participatory approach in forest management and protection. It now had much better relationship with rural communities, which had started self financing programmes to sustain their interest in forest protection and village development.

Mott said the project had considerably brought down the incidence of illicit felling of trees and contained migration.

She stressed the need for evolving a mechanism to precisely measure the economic benefits of the project.

She also called for giving an “active voice” to women in decision-making and implementation of the project.

A K Dutta, chief conservator of forests and project director, was confident of early acceptance of the State’s request for financial assistance for the second phase of the project, which, he said, would expand the ongoing initiatives and cover more people and areas. He said the request, along with the project report, was submitted to the bank six months ago.

He said the project had fully utilized the financial resources provided by the World Bank for the first phase.

He claimed the project had been instrumental in initiating policy changes aimed at liberalisation of tree felling and transport of timber by private people.

He said 2,464 village level committees were protecting 6400 square kilometer of forest and had been assured of a share in the incomes from the forests. Resources worth about Rs 40 crore had been transferred to the village committees in consideration of their contribution to forest protection. These committees were free to decide the use of this fund for village development.

Besides, 14 extension and research centres had been set up to promote new technologies and their dissemination to private sector, he added.

Dutta said habitat work had been done over an area of 8375 hectares in 12 important protected areas and eco-development had been initiated in 182 villages with the cooperation of the villagers in protected area management.

He said more than 1,40,000 people from the Forest Department and village committees had been imparted training and taken on tours to bring about attitudinal changes and skill development aimed at promoting joint forest management and absorption of new technologies.