RAIPUR: Demo-forests will be developed near all the district headquarters of Chhattisgarh to make people aware of the provisions and benefits of this scheme and to address their queries. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has directed Chief Secretary to earmark at least 10 acres of government land around all the district headquarters of the state for establishing demo forests.
Chhattisgarh State Government’s Chief Minister Plantation Promotion Scheme is receiving tremendous response from people of the state.
Chief Minister has said that demo-forests will create public awareness on the provisions and benefits of this scheme and motivate them to take advantage of the same. Other than plantation of timber and other species on the land earmarked for demo-forests, medicinal plants will also be planted as an intercrop. And for this, Baghel has directed to take help of the Forest and Agriculture Department officials and the scientists of Agricultural University.
They have also been directed to display the details of the economic benefits of plantation of all species in the demo forests. Chief Minister further said that in the coming years, people in the private sector will also be encouraged to go for commercial plantation.
It is worth mentioning that Chief Minister’s Plantation Promotion Scheme has been started from June 1, 2021, with the objective of promoting plantation in the state and for providing a new source of income to the farmers through the same. Under this scheme, if the farmers, who have taken paddy crop in Kharif year 2020, plant trees in their fields instead of paddy crop, they will be given incentive at the rate of 10 thousand rupees per acre per year for the next 3 years.
Similarly, if the funds of gram panchayats are utilized for commercial plantation, then in case of successful plantation after one year, the concerned Gram Panchayats will be provided incentive at the rate of Rs.10 thousand per acre from the government.
Apart from this, if revenue land is utilized for commercial plantation from the amount available with Joint Forest Management Committees, then like Panchayat, incentive at the rate of 10 thousand rupees per acre has been provisioned for the concerned committee after one year. Under this scheme, the right to cut and sell the trees has been entrusted to the concerned committee.
