Japan to aid MP forest projects

Rs 10 cr to be channelled through World Bank

To create 75 small and medium industrial projects on the basis of the concept of joint forest management, the MP government is executing a pilot project.

According to Forest Minister Chaudhary Chandra Bhan Singh, "A pilot project will be executed in some of the districts from 2005-06."

More than 800 members of about 200 forest committees will be trained to develop management skills. Besides, micro project will also be created in 200 forest committees.

The state government is expected to receive a grant of about Rs 10 crore from Japan through the World Bank for executing the project. The project has already been sanctioned by the government of India and the amount of the grant is soon expected to be received by the state government.

The members of the Van Samitis or the forest committees will receive training in forest management skills and for developing small and medium industries, to successfully implement them in the future.

Some committees which are to be trained will be given grants to set up small-and-medium industries under the project, the minister said.

The committee members will also be trained in administrative management skills as well as technical subjects connected with forest management.

The state government is expected to receive financial support from expert organisations and non-government organisations for imparting the trainings, he said, adding, the project will be executed by the state forest department.

The state government had recently launched its new forest policy, after the first forest policy in 1952. The policy has given a thrust on private partnership to manage degraded forest areas in a planned manner.

Recently, tobacco major ITC had shown keen interest to make a huge investment of Rs 2500 crore to set up a paper plant in the state.

Though the talks are said to have reached an advanced stage, the state government is yet to clarify a number of things regarding the development of degraded forest land. The Centre has also not cleared a Bill in this regard.

Besides, the state government's decision to classify projects based on social forest or joint forest management under agro processing, has created confusions among the industry players.

The state government has yet to notify the units of its decision, since agro-processing units have been given special concessions in the new industrial promotion policy of the state.

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Pilot project

• More than 800 members of about 200 forest committees will be trained for developing management skills
• Besides, micro project will also be created in 200 forest committees
• The state government has recently launched its new forest policy, giving a thrust to on private partnership to manage the degraded area in a planned manner
• The project has already been sanctioned by the government of India