Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 26: The works for preservation of forests have come under the scanner as the government has initiated a process to outsource the monitoring of works of forest department carried out under
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme since 2012.
Under CAMPA, several activities have been taken up for conservation and development of natural forests, afforestation of degraded forest areas, forest protection, forest fire management, management of wildlife habitat, capacity building, research development, and infrastructure development.
However, a source said that there are reports about misappropriation of funds in scheme over the years.
"Governor Satya Pal Malik has taken a serious note and has directed the concerned authorities to take action against responsible for frauds in the scheme," the source said.
As per a government document there is a need to evaluate works undertaken under CAMPA since 2012. "The third party will evaluate the CAMPA works undertaken as per annual plan of operations of 2012-13 to 2018-19. The agency has to carry out third party monitoring of the
CAMPA works," the document reads.
It says, "There is now a felt need to technically evaluate these ongoing efforts, and based on the learning, plan the way forward.
Also, the state CAMPA guidelines stipulate that an evaluation methodology of the works implemented has to be evolved and implemented to ensure effective and proper utilization of the fund for which funds are earmarked."
The Governor recently said that those who were heading the forest department or looking after forests had accumulated wealth millions of rupees by destroying forests.
"Some have bunglows in New Delhi's Vasant Vihar and Maharani Bagh.
They became millionaire and built big bunglows because of forests," he has said.
In 2018, the State Administrative Council had directed the forest department to undertake internal evaluation of the multi-crore works coming under CAMPA scheme since 2012.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had earlier taken on the government for diverting CAMPA funds meant for preservation of forests to others purposes like purchasing of TV seats and furniture.
The CAMPA was constituted in 2009 with an objective of conservation, protection, regeneration and management of existing natural forests, wildlife and their habitat and raising site specific compensatory afforestation.
Under CAMPA, large-scale activities have been taken up to accelerate conservation of natural forests, management of wildlife, capacity building, research and development, infrastructure development in the sector and other allied works. |
