The State Government on Wednesday decided to launch a Green Odisha Mission (GOM) for a period of four years from current fiscal at an estimated project cost of Rs 438.20 crore. During the current year, an estimated Rs 85.40 crore was provided in the Budget for the new scheme.
The State Cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on the eve of the Winter Session of Assembly beginning on Thursday, approved the proposal of the Forest and Environment Department for implementation of the long-term action plan to boost green cover in the State.
Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra said that the main objective of the GOM is to increase green cover of the State by taking up block plantations, improving the density of tree cover in degraded forests and avenue plantation in rural and urban areas. The scheme will also provide livelihood support, particularly to the poor ST and SC people and forest fringe dwellers, he said.
However, he said the State scheme would be implemented in convergence with other Central plantation schemes with a total cost of Rs 1,763.52 crore. “The scheme subsumes 11 schemes which include both the new and the continuing ones,” he said, adding Rs 1,325 crore would be available through convergence of other plantation schemes.
Stating that the plan period of the scheme is four years from 2013-14 to 2016-17, he said that an estimated 44.52 crore seedlings would be planted during the period, including 9.23 crore seedlings during the 2013-14 financial year. It has been targeted to create block plantation in 1.60 lakh hectares with gap plantation in 1.90 hectares, avenue plantation in 19,000 km of road and 57 lakh urban plantations.
Besides, 15.60 lakh seedlings would be raised for distribution to public free-of-cost, while 2,892 lakh seedlings would be raised for plantation under all schemes, Mohapatra said. The scheme will be monitored by Regional CCF, PCCF and Government as well as there is a provision for a third party evaluation of the scheme, he said.
The Chief Secretary further said that under the Forest Management Strategy, provision has been made to protect the dense forest with all its bio-diversity and wildlife to restore the vigour of open forest by appropriate silvicultural treatment, apart from taking up massive afforestation programme in the open and scrub forests to ensure people’s participation in protection, regeneration and management of forest resources of the State.
The Cabinet discussed and approved 16 proposals, including amendment in the Tourism policy-2013 to remove the incompatibility by making the State Promotion Council as apex body to guide and monitor the development of tourism in the State removing the confusing provision of the high-level committee.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to new Odisha Medical Education Service (method of recruitment and conditions of service) Rules -2013 replacing the Odisha Medical Education Service (Method of recruitment and condition of service) Rules -2009 to make it compatible with the provisions of Medical Council of India (MCI).
The new rules would foster research activities in medical colleges due to mandatory provision of research during the time of promotion of faculties. This will help recruitment process to consume less time with the abolition of interview and introduction of written examination, the Chief Secretary said.
In order to streamline the process of promotion and give a fair deal to regular field health staff having requisite qualification, the Cabinet approved a proposal of the Health and Family Welfare department framing of new Odisha Health Extension and Communication Service (Method of Recruitment and conditions of service) Rules, 2013.
The Cabinet approved the new Odisha Medical and Health Services rules -2013 to regulate the method of recruitment, promotion and conditions of service in order to select meritorious and qualitative deserving candidates for appointment to Odisha Medical and Health Services Cadre to provide better health care to the people and for medical colleges.
The new rules had been framed in super session of 2012 rules. The recruitment would be done through OPSC with 70 per cent written examination and 30 per cent career marking.