Alleging massive irregularities in the execution of various plantation programmes in the State, the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which fought for enactment of the historic Forest Rights Act (FRA), on Friday reiterated its demand for a probe by Vigilance.
The NGO raised serious questions over the expenditure of Rs 517.12 crore for generation of forests over 5 lakh hectare area in the State in last eight years.
“let the Forest Department give a clear account of the area covered under plantation and the money spent on it since 1980,” the CSD demanded, claiming that the plantation programmes involved a huge scam worth crores of rupees in which the department officials are involved. Reacting over the illogical estimated plantation programmes conducted every year, the CSD alleged that the Forest department was misleading the people on plantations in last eight years. The forest officials, the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP) and NGOs involved in the drives siphoned off the funds in the name of forest generation and protection, it charged.
It may be noted here that recently, the Government has decided to extend the OFSDP up to 2014-15 with an estimated cost of Rs 660 crore in which again 1,95,988 hectares are targeted to be covered.
The CSD also strongly condemned the Forest department for continuously undermining the FRA in the State. Criticising the recently launched project ‘Ama Jungle Yojana’ by the State Forest department involving Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSS) and SHGs in forest regeneration programme, the CSD said it is a ploy to dilute the FRA.
The CSD also revealed that it will organise a national level convention on Forest and Resource Rights on January 27 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.