The State level steering committee of CAMPA approved projects and activities worth Rs 54 crore at a meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here on Wednesday.
These projects are to be undertaken from interest incurred from CAMPA fund.
Chief Secretary Padhi directed the Forest Department to establish connectivity to the remote habitations and villages inside the forest area for facilitating delivery of essential services to the people there.
Replying to a media query after the meeting, Additional PCCF Subash Chandra Swain said that till now the State has received around Rs1,155 crore from adhoc CAMPA out of which around Rs1,100 crore has been utilised under different Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) up to 2014-15.
The principal activities included afforestation, bald hill plantation, conservation and enhancement of forest, protection of wild life, safety zone plantation, avenue plantation, assisted natural regeneration, natural regeneration, infrastructural development, communication, training and research etc.
The APO 2015-16 formulated with plan outlay of Rs 516 crore was sent to the Government of India for approval and release of funds from the month of April, 2016. The funds are yet to be received.
Swain further replied that near about Rs70.36 crore has been incurred as interest from State CAMPA funds. The principal projects which got approval included soil and moisture conservation, training, increasing green cover in the State, construction of Aranya Bhawan, remote sensing, GIS survey and mapping etc.
Earlier the activities like tiger estimation, fodder plantation, conservation of sacred groves, purchase of equipment etc were also under taken with this fund.
Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan participating in the discussion advised the department to have one unified GIS and remote sensing cell in ORSAC so as to avoid duplication in efforts and resources.
Review of earlier decisions showed professional and training experts have been engaged in all Forest Training Institutes. Steps have been taken for establishment of State Forest Academy at Bhubaneswar. For the purpose 30 acres of land have been identified in village Shyamsundarpur under Bhubaneswar tehsil. All DFOs have been asked to set up seedling sale centres in their respective divisions and ranges for popularising plantation in private land. The Chief Secretary advised them to make available fruit bearing species for the purpose.