The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Forest Department adopts Vasanthapuram village

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 09, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Forest Department adopts Vasanthapuram village

Staff Reporter

“Adequate financial support in form of loan to residents”

Two minor check dams have been constructed at a cost of Rs.4 lakh
to conserve drinking water

TIRUPATTUR: The Forest Department has adopted Vasanthapuram, 25 km from Alangayam, at Jawadu Hills near Tirupattur in Vellore district. The residents of the village coming under the reserve forest area get all benefits through the Forest Department, including financial assistance for overall economic development.

Officials of the Forest Department said that the village had been adopted under the Tamil Nadu Aforestation Project Scheme. The department, through the scheme, had extended adequate financial support in form of loan from TADCO to selected women self-help groups (SHGs). Even financial help had been given to individual beneficiaries.

A senior Forest Department official said that the department, through TADCO, had extended loans to seven women SHGs in the village. Five of them had received a loan amount of Rs.24, 000 each. The remaining two had received Rs.15, 000 each. The total loan amount given to the seven SHGs together was Rs.1.5 lakh. Similarly, the Forest Department had given a loan of Rs.15, 000 to another SHG.

Besides, 15 villagers were given a loan of Rs. 5,000 each. The total loan amount given to the 15 touched Rs.75, 000.

The official said that the Forest Department had given an extra Rs.1.10 lakh to the residents of Vasanthapuram. The money had been realised through minor forest produce cultivated in this reserve forest area.

Out of the total Rs.1.10 lakh realised through the minor forest produce, 25 per cent was used as village development fund and the remaining was equally shared among the villagers.

The official said that the village development fund had been used for the construction of a community hall. The department had already constructed two minor check dams to conserve drinking water at a cost of Rs.4 lakh. It planned to construct three more at an estimated cost of Rs. 72,000. Work on the dams would begin soon.

The Forest Department also catered to the education needs of elementary school children of Vasanthapuram and the adjoining villages which are within 8-kilometre radius.

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