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| More committees, more mess in forest dept | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 2: The Omar-led coalition government has stumbled upon the "redundant" exercise of forming new committees for the protection of forest wealth in the state when there already exist several such committees.
The move is superficial in the sense that the already existing committees have failed to deliver the desired results, according to sources in forest department.
Sources said by forming committees, those at the helm of affairs were confusing general masses about their purpose.
Sources said the Territorial Department had been entrusted with the job of increasing forest cover by planting trees under the National Afforestation Scheme.
For the purpose, Village Forest Committees (VFCs) were formed. There were also Joint Forest Management Committees of the Social Forestry Department for the same purpose.Apart from these committees, there existed Water Shed Committees under other projects of the forest department, the sources added.As if the existing committees were not enough, the forest minister announced the formation of more forest protection committees in a
function held at Mansar in the recent past.
Sources said all the committees except Forest Protection Committees were alloted the same task of plantation, protection from forest fires and timber smugglers, and to check encroachment of forest land. "The department provides them funds for plantation, but nothing concrete is happening on the ground and forests are depleting with each passing day in the state," the sources added.
Sources said as the majority of concerned employees depended only on villagers to protect the woods, no work was being done either to increase the green cover or guard it against smugglers.Chief Conservator of Forests, S C Sharma was not available for comments.
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