The Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has come up with the latest data suggesting considerable success in making the forest land free from illegal occupations. The Department has furnished that out of 2637.3045 hectares of the land identified under illegal occupation, 320.5461 hectares have been made encroachment free.
Principal Secretary of the Department Sukhdev Singh informed about this on Saturday during a review meeting called by Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma. The CS has been particular about the issue which was getting bigger in the State.
The CS, at the same time, also directed the officials that encroachments made in urban areas should be prioritised and notices should be issued to all the encroachers. “First hold weekly hearings which should be followed by action. Moreover, certificates should be obtained from the range officers ascertaining that forest land in their area is encroachment free,” said Verma.
She also said that the Department should make five years’ work-plan for forest development under CAMPA. She directed the department to prepare such a work-plan which conserves the forest habitat apart from doing demarcation of forest land. She said that schemes should be prepared area wise along with preparation of a report of the funds, the time and the heads under which they will be received from the Centre.
The CS also set a target to plant over 10,000 trees during 2017-18 through CAMPA while addressing DFOs through video conferencing. Coming to illegal saw mills, the CS directed to prepare a list at division level and shut them down.