*Vital aspect ignored ever since framing of vision document
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 7: Incredible it may sound but it is a fact that Jammu and Kashmir is having a comprehensive Forest Policy aimed at preservation of green gold but no implementation mechanism. This vital aspect has been ignored by the successive Governments ever since the framing of vision document way back in 2011 despite hammering from different quarters including Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
The J&K State Forest Policy was notified in January 2011 more than 23 years after formulation of National Forest Policy in 1988. In the policy, it was specifically mentioned under Implementation and Review column that the Forest Department will prepare an implementation schedule for realizing the objectives of the vision document. Moreover, enough thrust was laid on putting in place a high powered institutional mechanism to monitor and review the implementation of the policy.
The basic objectives of the State Forest Policy were conservation of biodiversity and natural habitat through preservation of natural forests with the vast variety of flora and fauna, extending tree cover outside forests to reduce pressure on natural forests for supply of forest produce and reducing pressure on forests through appropriate interventions including development of forest fringe belt into high production tree strips etc.
However, no focus has so far been laid on implementation and review by putting in place high-powered institutional mechanism. The ignoring of this vital aspect was pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report for the year 2013-14.
Following this, the then Government reported in August 2014 that the high powered institutional mechanism would be constituted with the active participation of all the wings of the Forest Department. When the Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) pointed out the audit observation of the CAG, the Forest Department told the House Panel that consultations with different wings of the department were going on and it was expected that the institutional mechanism would be put in place very soon.
However, the Forest Department failed to keep its words as no visible progress was made in respect of the proper implementation of the Forest Policy. Subsequently, the House Panel in the month of August last year directed the Forest Department to constitute a departmental committee to look into delay in constitution of high powered institutional mechanism for implementation of Forest Policy and submit the report within two months—by October 2015.
Ironically, the Forest Department neither constituted institutional mechanism nor submitted report to the Committee on Public Accounts. This indicates that there is no end to the slackness towards ensuring implementation of Forest Policy despite hammering from the CAG and PAC.
Similarly, the Forest Department has not prepared working plans in all the 20 Territorial Divisions in the State despite being aware of the fact that such plans guide the officers about the works they are required to carry out in their respective areas.
This was also pointed out by the CAG in its report for the year 2013-14 and in response to the audit observation, the Committee on Public Accounts was apprised that working plans in 19 divisions out of 30 Territorial Divisions were already operational and the working plans of three Territorial Divisions were formulated and submitted to Government for approval while as working plan of one Territorial Division was under the process of submission for approval to the Government.
However, the PAC was not satisfied with the reply and sought to know the reasons behind failure on this account. “The plans already submitted to the Government were pending approval for a period ranging 2 and 16 years since the expiry of previous working plans”, the Committee on Public Accounts pointed out, adding “due to non-formulation of working plans the State has been put to a big loss”.
Though the House Panel had asked the Forest Department to pursue the plans vigorously in the concerned quarters and report the status of their implementation but no seriousness was shown towards these directives as a result of which the examination of the audit observation has remained inconclusive.
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