The State Government has submitted a proposal to the Union Government to undertake a second-phase Odisha Bananchal Unnayan Project with support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The proposed eight-year project involving Rs1,739.5-crore is under consideration of the foreign agency now. Forests and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh informed this in the State Assembly in response to a question of BJD MlA Dr Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik on Tuesday.
The first phase of the Odisha Bananchal Unnayan Project with the JICA support had been implemented from 2006-07 to 2014-15 in 15 forest divisions. A total of 2,426 Bana Suraksha Samitis and 56 Paribesh Suraksha Samitis had been created to conserve degraded forests and create alternative livelihood sources for people dependent on jungles. Plantation activities had been taken up in 2,10,405 hectare of degraded forests and 2,920 hectare in coastal areas. As many as seven tourism spots and two community reserve forest had been developed. A total of 7,385 SHGs had been provided livelihood sources.