Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday expressed his displeasure over the survival rate of saplings planted during the afforestation drive during the last few years.
He urged the Forest Department officials to work in co-ordination with various wings of the Forest Department and take people’s support to make the afforestation drive more effective. Singh was reviewing the functioning of the Forest Department at Mantralaya (Mahanadi Bhawan).
He said that 50 per cent survival rate of plants is not satisfactory and issued strict orders to see that the survival rate increases to 100 per cent.
The Chief Minister was also not happy over the slow pace of progress in ‘Jungle Safari’ at Naya Raipur and urged the Department officials to hasten the development works. Singh called upon the officials to prepare a Master Plan for taking up cashew plantations over 10,000 hectares of land in Bastar Revenue Division.
He said that tissue culture facility should be utilised to see that ‘Chironjee’ , Mahua and Tamarind native breeds do not become extinct. A special drive be launched with active public participation. The Chief Minister said that environmental clearances should be speeded up so that the development projects are not delayed.
About 264 cases relating to 19,000 hectares of land were settled since the formation of the State. Singh said that land disputes cases should be settled as early as possible.