Budget Announcements vs Reality
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU: In contrary to the claims of the former J&K Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister, the State Forest department yet awaits its reorganization and strengthening of the Forest Protection Force (FPF) by properly utilizing the services of the force men to protect the green gold from the timber and land mafia.
The commitments made by the then Minister Incharge Forest and Social Welfare, Bali Bhagat on the floor of the Upper and Lower Houses of the J&K Legislature and also during debate on grants of the department in previous Budget session, have remained merely on papers. The claim with regard to the reorganization of the Forest Department and merger of its wings like IWDP and Forest Protection Force (FPF) in the main parent/ Forest department has still remained elusive. The Minister had claimed that the Government would take detailed review of the functioning of these institutions and explore possibility of their merger in the parent department. He had also claimed that several wings like IWDP, FPF and SFC have become nearly defunct and ‘white elephants’ for the Forest department. These wings were created for rendering helping hand to the Forest Department but they became liability for it.
Bhagat had also pointed out that IWDP was raised to restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water and was funded by World Bank. Since 2005, the World Bank has not released a single penny for IWDP projects due to best known to the people at the helm of affairs and the project turned defunct. But unfortunately, the State is bearing the burden of salaries and other expenses of its employees. In 1996, FPF was raised with an objective to support Forest department and protect illicit felling, encroachments, forest produce, check timber smuggling and forest land from the mafia. But this wing too, failed to produce the desirable results. Now, it is time to review all these wings and if the things went well, all these wings would be merged into parent Forest department, Bali had maintained.
Despite the assurance on the floor of the House regarding fast clearance of PMGSY road projects pending Forest clearance, it has been observed that over 200 road projects are still pending and most of them are under PMGSY. The Forest Minister had categorically informed the House that no PMGSY projects were pending but information available in the office of PCCF indicated that 120 cases pertained to diversion of forest land, 68 of PMGSY roads and 27 projects of Irrigation and Flood Control department. The Forest Department, however, claimed that Rs 30 crore has been pending with the R&B department as compensation of Forest clearances/ trees felled but till today that payment has not been made by the user agency. A Forest Advisory Committee under Chief Secretary has already been set up for the purpose to accord speedy disposal of the cases of such nature.
Despite the tall claims about according top priority to the protection of Forests, State Government has failed to strengthen FPF and provide them weapons to fight the land and timber mafia. These force men have been given just lathis to assist Territorial Forest staff during anti-encroachment operations or while effecting the seizure of the timber from well equipped smugglers. Some FPF units in Kashmir said to have provided weapons to face the timber smuggling mafia. The Govt failed to raise the much needed infrastructure for the FPF units. Even after raising this force in 1996, there is no much check on the timber smuggling, encroachment on Forest land or effective check on illicit felling of green gold. Out of the 30 FPF units raised, only 23 are functional and no efforts were made to make seven others functional. The Home department had agreed to provide weapons to the units in Jammu on loan basis about one and half year back but no progress on this count has been witnessed. Even most of the staff members have not been trained in using weapons. The department is providing nearly Rs 70 crore annually to meet the salaries and allied expenditure of FPF units across the State. Proper functioning of these units has been affected due to lack of sufficient financial support. Ten units of the FPF are without vehicles and 11 old vehicles were put off the road but no new sanction was accorded till date and the force is facing lot of problems in case of emergency mobility.
In Jammu region for 11 FPF units, the Home department agreed to provide just 50 .303 rifles and 25 pistols and staff would also under go the required arms training. About Rs 8 crore are needed to raise remaining seven units. At present there is a force of nearly 1700 men in the FPF out of the sanctioned strength of 2300.
Though a comprehensive Forest Policy was formulated about four years back but it was not implemented properly. No much efforts were made to increase the forest cover in the State. Even the CAG also projected the dismal scenario of preservation and conservation of the green gold in the State. It has also alleged massive misuse of funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
The National Forest policy which was framed in 1988, lays thrust on bringing 66 % of the geographical area in hilly States including J&K under forest cover. However, as per Indian States Forest Report, the forest area in the State remained static at 15.83 % of its geographical area and growing stock ( volume of all living (trees) in a given area of forest) in the existing forests decreased from 226.20 cum/ ha to 114.77 cum/ha. The CAG has also pointed out that administrative expenditure has been accounted for 86% to 90 % of the total budget of the Forest department and its wings, thereby leaving a meager 10 % to 14% funds under capital component. It clearly shows the non-seriousness on the part of Forest department towards preservation and conservation activities.
The J&K framed Forest Policy in 2010-11, more than 23 years after formulation of National Forest Policy, however, objectives of this policy could not be achieved due to non-serious approach of those at the helm of affairs in the department. For the implementation of Forest Policy a high -powered institution to mechanism was to be put in place, but this was not done for the reason best known to the senior officers at the helm of affairs. Again, under the National Forest Policy, working plans for each of the Territorial Division was required to be framed for the scientific management of the natural forest areas but out of the 30 such divisions, 25 were found without any working plans over the period ranging from five to 25 years. Due to non-framing of working plans, funds to the tune of over Rs 50 crore were denied to the State from 2012 to 2014. CAMPA programme also suffered damage due to slackness on the part of senior Forest officials.
It is also matter of serious concern that PCB has not been a priority of the Government. There was no mention of it during the grants. On line system for providing NOC to the industrialists though claimed to have introduced in PCB, but it has not been made fully functional. Both Jammu and Srinagar based Labs of the PCB have not been recognized and upgraded for the last over two decades. The services of the scientists are not being properly utilized.
Anti-encroachment drive has been the most laudable action taken so far by the State Forest department. In just less than one year, over 14,000 kanal Forest land has been retrieved by the Forest department out of 2.5 lakh kanals encroached upon in the State so far. Nearly 46,500 cft timber was also seized in last one year by the department. For the first time in the history, such a huge land has been cleared from the illegal occupation of land grabbers as all the Forest Divisions have become active. But the retrieved land is not being fenced immediately, thus increasing apprehensions of being re-grabbed. It needs sufficient funds. The credit for massive drive goes to the then Minister concerned who had declared on the floor of the House to retrieve entire land grabbed, from the possession of the land mafia people and others.
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