The environment and forests ministry proposes to ask the Planning Commission to sanction Rs 247.04 crore to fund the ministry's new five-year action plan.
The plan gives special attention to ecological rehabilitation. Cyclone-hit Orissa would receive priority in the plan.
Rs 26.67 crore is required from the Planning Commission immediately so that Rs 7.45 crore out of this can be spent exclusively on salvage work in the cyclone-hit Orissa, environment and forests minister T R Baalu said.
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He said he would take up the matter with the Plan panel soon.
He said apart from intensifying efforts to improve the environment and check pollution, he was also paying attention to forest and wildlife conservation.
New zoological parks are proposed to be set up and a new survey has been started on tiger conservation. Besides, a special programme _ Vision 21 _ has been launched for overall care of the environment.
He said innovative schemes had been worked out to boost bamboo cultivation. Apart from boosting forest yield, this would provide additional source of livelihood to the poor, particularly those living on the fringe of forests. TLE>