Information on Maharashtra forest digitised: Governor

Information regarding boundaries of entire forest area of Maharashtra has been digitised, the state Assembly was informed today.
"All digitised maps are made available on the Government website and (has) also been placed on GIS platform online. All Forest Guards are being provided Personal Digital Assistant to record forest offences, movement of wild animals and management of plantation sites," Governor K Sankaranarayanan said, addressing the joint session of both Houses on the first day of the four-day Legislature session.
As a commitment towards ecological conservation in coastal areas, about 12,000 hectares area of mangroves has been brought under the network of reserve and protected forests, he said.

Mangroves plantation over 100 hectares area has also been undertaken, the Governor said.
A novel scheme for accepting stamp duty and registration fee through a payment gateway GRAS has been introduced by the state government for the first time in the country, he said.
"This will facilitate safe and easy services for public in the state. A new system of e-registration has been introduced to facilitate the registration of instruments directly from the place of residence without visiting Sub-Registrar Office," he said.
From last few years, before crushing season in the state, there are agitations for getting higher price of sugarcane from various farmers associations, the Governor said.

"Taking into consideration, the need to decide sugarcane price on the basis of revenue generated by sugar factories and the recommendations of C Rangarajan Committee, a comprehensive law has been enacted, which will help to ensure greater certainty, stability and rationality in the sugar sector," he said.