Maharashtra government will upgrade the existing Forest Rangers Training College here to National Forest Academy and may take a call on declaring the district as "tiger district" in future, Forests Minister Patangrao Kadam said today.
He also said a state-level eco-tourism academy will come up at Chikhaldara in neighbouring Amaravati district.
Kadam was addressing a function to distribute cheques of compensation to Eco Development Committees (EDC), Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) and to rehabilitated villagers at Moharli village on the outskirts of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
A total of 131 cheques amounting to over Rs 87 lakh were distributed to the beneficiaries during the function.
"A new bamboo policy would also be brought in force in the near future, so that bamboo is made available cheaper to the inhabitants of the forests here", Kadam said.
He informed that the number of cases of man-animal conflicts has been brought down.
"Under the new Bamboo Policy, forest inhabitants and tribals would be getting bamboo at Rs 3 - Rs 5 per piece inclusive of all the taxes in the near future. The new policy is being adopted on the lines of 'Tendu (Leaves) Policy", he said.
Senior Forest officials were present on the occasion.
