The Government, looking at growing man-animal conflicts and damages being caused to farmers and forest settlers, has revised monetary compensation paid to them. Holding a review meeting Chief Minister Raghubar Das issued a direction to the Department of Fortes, Environment and Climate Change in this regard on Thursday.
As per the revised rate the compensation for each hectare would be ranging between Rs 20000 to Rs 40000. “The rate was between Rs 10000 to Rs 25000 earlier which has been raised now to Rs 40000 maximum for the damages cused due to wild animal per hectare. Similarly, for kachcha and puccha houses, it has been revised as Rs 75000 and Rs 1.20 lakh,” said Principal Secretary Sukhdeo Singh after the meeting.
Compensation against serious injuries has been hiked from present Rs 50000 to Rs 1lakh and for minor one Rs 15000. “The Chief Minister has directed to implement the rates on immediate basis,” added the official.
This apart, the Department presented a DPR prepared for the Fossil Park coming up at Mandro of Sahibganj. The DPR is being prepared for the conservation of the fossils present there at the cost of Rs 18.59 crore. Also, an aquarium at the cost of Rs 3.64 crore has been developed at Birsa Biological Park on 3300 square meter area.
“Jharkhand has 29.50 per cent of its geographical area ranging about 23478 sq. km under forest cover. We have planned to plant 339.25 new saplings in this financial year. Overall out of Rs 407.31 core budget allocated to the Department, Rs 154.94 crore has been released. The Department for taking Sal forest to the next level, is also working on its natural regeneration on 6700 hectares in which root stocks of the specie would be naturally regenerated, especially in degraded forests,” said Sukhdeo Singh.
The CM in his direction to the officials told them to work in the order to maintain the unique ecological balance the State has so that the population depending on major and minor forest produces can get consistent income.
“We have to make sure how more and more plantation is done during the monsoon. People should be encouraged to do so. Willing persons should give applications for plants under the CM Jan-Van Scheme through panchayats. Also sakhi mandals can be deployed for watering the saplings,” said the CM.
He also stressed on growing income of forest dwellers by proper marketing of minor forest produces like tamarind, jackfruit, mahua, tasar, lac etc. Besides the CM, Water Resources Minister Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, Additional Chief Secretary Amit Khare and Secretary to the CM Sunil Kumar Barnwal were present in the meeting.