NAVNEET DUBEY
Jammu, Mar 18 : Jammu and Kashmir Departments owe 93 crores to forest department on account of forest land transferred to them. This information was given by incharge Minister for forest Manohar Lal Sharma in reply to a question raised by NC member Vijay Bakaya in the Legislative Council today.
"Over a sum of Rs 93 crore is pending in this regard. Of this, a sum of Rs 63 crore has been pending between the period of 1990 to 2007," Minister said and informed that government is pursuing the case and was hopeful of making the recoveries. He said they were targeting an area of 22,000 hectares to be brought under afforestation and have so far succeeded in transforming 13,000 hectares.
However, now that procedure has been stopped and departments who intend to take the forest land are made to pay the amount in advance, he said.
Earlier, the land was transferred to various departments, including irrigation and roads, and the payments used to be accepted after transfer of land, Sharma said.
In his supplementary Bakaya pointed out that it appears that forest department under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) handovers the land to other departments before getting the sum for the same.
"As per your reply 9000 hectares of land still had to be brought under afforestation. Whether that chunk of land has been diverted for non-forestry purposes?"
Till the end of last year, they had cultivated over 60 lakh plants under CAMPA which was initiated in the state from 2010-2011, minister informed.
Another 9.18 lakh saplings were planted by Social Forestry Department, State Forest Research Institute and Wild Life Protection Department in last two years, he added. Total forest area of the state was 20,230 sq km out of which 11,151.75 hectares was diverted to non-forest use, he said. |
