With funds flow from the Union Government for forestry sector slowing down, the fate of several Centrally-sponsored programmes has been pushed to uncertainties, according to officials.
They are also of opinion that it would be very difficult to achieve stipulated targets of ongoing projects.
Release of funds under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), National Afforestation Program (NAP), National Mission for Green India (GIM) and several other Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) have slowed down resulting in difficulties in implementation projects.The State Government has urged the Union Government to release funds under these schemes time and again.
Sources in Forests and Environment Department said out of sanctioned amount of Rs 520 crore under the CAMPA for 2017-18, the Centre has only released Rs 241 crore while a month is only left for completion of the year.
While massive plantation programmes were chalked out under the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) in the State Annual Plan, its implementation impacted due to inconsistent fund release, said sources.
Notably, the Centre had approved a Budget estimate of Rs 8.2 crore unde the NAP for 2017-18 for carrying out creation of 1980 hectares of forest and maintenance of an area of 13,240 hectares.
However, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has released Rs 3.5 crore so far.
Similarly, an ambitious programme was taken up under the National Mission for Green India (GIM) by MoEFCC for five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20 with a cost of Rs 10.79 crore. While greening programme in 2,177 hectare was taken up at a total spending of Rs 3 crore by the State Government, officials said the five-ear prospective plan has not been approved by the Union Government.
The State Government has approached once again to the MoEF and CC Ministry urging it to release the funds in time for completion of ongoing projects.
During the recent visit of the Director General Forests Siddhant Das to the State, several pending issues were taken up with him. Das is understood to have given assurance to look into the matter on a priority basis, an official said.