The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State to get Rs. 1,300 crore under CAMPA

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Friday, Jun 25, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State to get Rs. 1,300 crore under CAMPA

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

CAMPA released to the State a sum of Rs. 89 crore during the last fiscal
Plans chalked out to improve forest cover in 3,000 hectares of reserve forest area

HYDERABAD: The Forest Department will receive a whopping amount of Rs. 1,300 crore over a period of 10 years under the recently-established Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) as its share of the money collected by the National agency from various departments, institutions and companies as compensation for diverting reserve forest lands for other purposes.

Following a Supreme Court order in July last, the decks were cleared for giving back to the States the money collected since 2002.

This amounts to Rs. 9,900 crore and, additionally, Rs. 1,300 crore as interest.

The money was collected as compensation for the net productive value of reserve forest land lost by giving away lands to the Irrigation, National Highways Authority and some industries like ITC, Hindujas and power projects that needed land.

Funds

Accordingly, the National Advisory Council of CAMPA released directly to the State CAMPA account a sum of Rs. 89 crore during the last fiscal and a similar amount for the current year too, said A.V. Joseph, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in-charge of AP State CAMPA. Plans have been chalked out to improve forest cover in 3,000 hectares of reserve forest area and protect wildlife in the 54 forest divisions of the State. “In AP, the average is only about 22 percent,” he said.

Prevent poaching

Chief Conservator of Forests, CAMPA, R. Sobha said the State's action plan included strengthening the frontline staff and setting up of additional check posts and base camps aimed to prevent poaching and tree-felling and increasing forest cover through fresh plantation.

The department will buy 340 new vehicles too. Including the allocation for the last fiscal, the plan for the year 2010-11 was prepared for Rs. 168 crore, she said.

The plan is to be approved at the State CAMPA's Executive Committee before being forwarded through its Steering Committee to the Governing body, headed by Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, she said.

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