As the expanding economy of Jharkhand is eating up the green cover that the State was once known for, the State Government, in a bid to reverse the damage done as a result of rapidly expanding industrial activity, on Sunday launched Mukhyamantri Jan Van Yojna to bring people onboard the effort which was hitherto confined the Government department.
The scheme was launched by Chief Minister Raghubar Das on the occasion of 16th State Foundation Day at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Football Stadium amid the rising concerns of shrinking forest cover that incidentally is also linked with the survival of various forest dwelling communities. The scheme aims at reducing dependence over notified forest lands and opening up avenues of income for farmers by supporting plantation on private lands measuring minimum one-acre and not more than 50-acres.
The scheme envisages monetary support to owners of the land for taking up forestry either on the complete plot or a portion of it. The monetary support would be offered upto 50 per cent of the cost that would be incurred by a farmer for planting and maintaining specifically two types of plants—fruit bearing and timber plants—which could be widened depending on the exigencies of the situation in future.
“Under this scheme, a farmer would be given grants upto 50 per cent for planting plants on their private land or field. I believe that this scheme would take shape of a movement and will prove a milestone in expanding Jharkhand’s greenery,” said Das.
The Yojna has been spread over three years with well laid out activities for each year— digging pits, fencing, planting, using fertilisers and manure, irrigation of plants in the first year while the remaining two years would focus on harvesting and applying fertilisers and manures in the field. The monetary aid would be spread over three years as well. The scheme lays out the qualifying conditions for grants which is planting 445 saplings of timber trees and 160 plantlets of fruit trees at specified distance. A beneficiary would be responsible for the conservation of the plants.
The incentive to produce timber and fruits has been further categorised as Rs69 a piece for timber producing plant variety and Rs192 for fruit producing plants. A total of Rs 29,362 and Rs30,696 would be spent for the block plantation and linear plantation of both the varieties of plants correspondingly. A farmer would have the option of procuring saplings from the department of forest or on their own which would alter the quantum of incentive that will be offered.
Admittedly, the scheme has been inspired by Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, to spur public movement and to some extent bears the imprint of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Scheme launched by Maharashtra government in July 2015. The schemes resemble in their objectives of increasing green cover by addressing key concerns of forest based economy of rural inhabitants, mitigating confrontation between various components of respective eco-system and above all mobilising people for a greater cause of forest conservation to bring environment to equilibrium.