The National Forest Policy 1988 envisages forest and tree coverage of 33 per cent of the total geographical area of the country by 2012, for maintaining enverionmental stability.
The recent report published by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the year ended 31 March 2009 for Jharkhand said there had been delays ranging between two to 14 years in preparation and approval of working plans for afforestation and working of compensatory afforestation fund management in the state.
During 1997-2007, plantations carried out in 12,000 hectares and 16.52 km (linear plantations) at an expenditure of Rs 20.82 crore failed.
Unauthorised use of 4,655.82 hectares of forest land for non-forest purposes resulted in loss of Rs 368.41 crore of the government, CAG said.
