Chalking out a comprehensive programme to increase the state’s forest cover to 15 per cent, the Punjab government is negotiating with Japan for technological tie up in the ambitious project.
Already, the state government has approved a plan allocation of Rs 700 crore for the project.
“I have already approved a plan allocation of Rs 700 crore for this project and I hope that state’s forest cover would witness a steady increase of eight per cent from present seven per cent forest cover and by the year 2020, the state would achieve the target of 15 per cent forest cover,” said the state Forests Minister Chunni lal Bhagat.
He said that the state would soon ink MoU with Japan for this project after its final approval from Japan High Commission and expressed hope that work on this project would start very soon.
“Under this project, focus would be on plantation of fast growing trees. Japan would provide technological back up for plantation of these species of trees,” he said.
Bhagat said that Japan International Co-Operative Agency (JICA) has already been executing this kind of project in other parts of the country in the field of forestry and environment.
“Punjab Government is committed to achieve its target of increasing the forest cover of the state from eight to 15 per cent by 2020. Government has already launched the ‘Greener Punjab Mission’,” he added.