Himachal Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur said that Himachal Pradesh had become the first State in Asia to implement Bio-Carbon Sub Project. He was interacting with a delegation of World Bank which called on him under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Selan recently.
The delegation apprised him that the bank had agreed in principle to implement Bio-Carbon Sub-Project under Mid Himalayan Watershed Development Project.
Thakur said that Mid Himayalan Watershed Development Project was being implemented in 602 Panchayats of 42 Developmental Blocks of 10 districts of the State. He said that plantation was a main component of the project and added that there was provision of providing an amount of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 per hectare for those panchayats which played significant role in growing plantation on community land, degraded forests or private land and protect them. He further said that amount would be provided to the concerned panchayat for about ten years, if the planted area comes up-to the set guidelines of the World Bank.
He said that the main objective of the project was to promote plantation of local species in such area where no plantation was grown after 1990 besides environment protection. He further said that 12000 hectare land would be brought under the plantation in next three years under Mid Himalayan Watershed Development Project in the State.
Thakur also thanked the World Bank team for implementation of Bio-Carbon Sub-Project in the State and added that State Government was determined to strengthen the PRI system under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister. He said that motivators in every selected panchayat would be selected under the project and their honorarium to be enhanced from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 and furniture upto Rs. 15,000 to the panchayats covered under the project would also be provided under the project. He said that a matter in this regard was taken up with the World Bank for which the Bank had also been agreed. He also urged for providing additional funds for implementation and proper management of Mid Himalayan Watershed Development Project in every panchayat of the State.
Earlier, the delegation also met Ashok Thakur, Principal Secretary, Forest and discussed the components of the projects in details.
Dr. Pankaj Khullar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, R.K. Gupta, Chief Project Director and senior officers of the project also attended the meeting among others
