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| Watershed picks pace | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Dec 3: With the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Irshad Ahmed Khan gaining full control over the Participatory Watershed Management Project, the ambitious World Bank funded program has come back to life with the works picking pace.
The Participatory Watershed Management Project, earlier known as Integrated Watershed Development Project had been hanging in balance for quite a while due to a row running between the then project chief RD Tiwari and the PCCF Irshad Ahmed Khan.
Tiwari was considered close to the then Forest Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal and was later removed from the project after the controversial axing of the Minister. At that time the project was in a perpetual limbo as many schemes and new funding patterns were hanging at negotiation stage.
However, Irshad Khan took over the additional charge of the project, the activity has picked up. Sources in the department say that Khan had spent significant tenure in the World Bank and enjoys a good rapport with the officials. Many schemes pending at different levels have been got cleared, it is learnt.
In this connection a team of the World Bank consisting of Lead Rural Development specialist Norman Piccioni, Environmental Specialist Ranjan Samantray and consultant Dr. T.C. Jain today had a meeting with the Chief Secretary BR Kundal. The meeting was also attended by Principal Secretary Forests, Atal Dulloo and PCCF Irshad Khan.
While chairing the meeting, Kundal said that people of state despite adverse conditions have always given their wholehearted support in execution of welfare schemes launched by the government for their welfare.
Kundal asked the management of the Participatory Watershed Management project to implement the project vigorously to reverse the process of degradation of natural resource base and improve the productive potential of natural resources and income of the rural households in the project area. He said all the Village Development Plans (VDP) should be prepared with active participation of the people. He asked to thoroughly educate the people about various components of the project.
It was given out in the meeting that under PWMP US 100 million dollars are being spent in the state in six years. A total of 314000 hectare area is being covered in the project besides 882615 hectares area would have its impact. |
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