One crore saplings will be planted in a day under Hariyali Mahotsav in Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Hariyali Mahotsav should be turned into a mass movement. He reviewed the activities of the Forest Department at Mantralaya here on Friday.
Chouhan directed to chalk out a comprehensive policy to establish forest-based industries. Through them employment will be provided to four lakh people in five years. Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar and Chief Secretary Anthony DeSa were also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister directed to make arrangements for training, marketing and packaging for forest dwellers, establishing small industries for linking forests to employment. For this, five-year time-bound scheme should be chalked out. Efforts would also be taken to ensure public participation at every level to turn Hariyali Mahotsav into a mass movement.
Preparations for the movement would start in June. Reviewing Bamboo Mission, he said that a big target should be set to provide employment to people living near bamboo forests. The Forest Department should work by maintaining a balance between environment and development. He termed the workshop to be useful as it would apprise the departmental officers regarding the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.
The Chief Minister directed that a comprehensive scheme should be chalked out to upgrade degraded forests. He directed to chalk out an action plan keeping immense potential of eco-tourism in view. He directed to adopt scientific methods to ensure that tigers and other wild animals do not enter populated areas.
He directed to make system of online payment to the labourers practical and transparent so that the labourers face no problems. Appreciating the work of the Joint Forest Management Committees, the Chief Minister directed to hold convention of these committees once a year.
It was informed at the meeting that Madhya Pradesh is the first Sate in the country, where committee members have appointed their secretaries instead of forest rangers. He said that problems of forest dwellers should be solved with humanitarian approach. The Chief Minister also directed to pay special attention to forest protection and develop a mechanism for quality control.
At the meeting it was informed that Kanha Tiger Reserve has won the first and Satpura Tiger Reserve the second prize under Bio-Diversity Awards of UNDP and Union Ministry for Environment and Forests. Widespread plantation work will be undertaken in the State's forests. About 7.50 crore saplings will be planted in July next. It was informed that a group of five tigers has been seen drinking water together in a lake in Ratapani. The number of grasslands is being increased in the area to increase the number of antelopes there. Four targeted sets of SHG beneficiaries under forest-based industries will grow bamboos, medicinal and aromatic plants. Works under PPP mode are being done for eco-tourism in Ralamandal in Indore, Beehar in Rewa and Araniya in Dewas.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Ajay Nath, Principal Secretary to CM Manoj Shrivastava, in-charge Principal Secretary Forests Radheshyam Julaniya, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Anil Oberoy and departmental officers were present on the occasion.