Pradeep Bhatia

A total 15228 forest committees have been set up in the state to ensure management, protection and development of forests through public participation by forest villages. Three types of committees have been set up in the state for joint forest management – Forest protection committees in thick forest areas, Gram Forest Committees in disintegrated forest areas, and Eco Development Committees in protected forest areas. Like forest employees, members of the committees are considered as public servants and given legal protection as they are engaged in protecting forests. If assisted to nab forest criminals, the committee is entitled to get 50 per cent of the reward amount.

Among the total committees, 4714 are protection committees, 9650 are village forest committees and 831 are eco development committees. These committees are cooperating in protection of forests in the state spread over an area of 66,873,85 kms.

The forest department and forest committees have prepared micro management plans for development of forest villages. The main purpose of these plans is forest protection and development along with fulfilling forest-based need of the villagers through limited use of forests. At the same time villages will be developed in such a way so that their pressure on forests is minimized.

Forest Minister Shri Sartaj Singh has distributed LPG and pressure cookers to reduce felling of trees for firewoo for cooking. Under this plan, so far, 11,742 LPG connections and 15233 pressure cookers have been given to committee members. The government has received 111,125 applications for gas connections and 15,205 applications for pressure cookers. For LPG gas connection the Indian Oil Corporation is giving 50 per cent subsidy and the committees are giving 25 per cent subsidy. Some committees have applied for agency of LPG gas connection and cylinders. Under the public distribution system, ration cards are being distributed through the committees and the committees are making available food grains to the members by running fair price shops. In Hoshangabad, Harda and Khandwa districts under the banner of “Sanjha Chulha” plan, in forest villages and joint forest management committees the scheme of Indian Oil Corporation is being implemented as an alternative source to solve problem of fire wood. Along with this the committees are distributing bonus on bamboo to members and saplings of bamboo and other plants are getting planted.

The forest department is distributing at the rate of 10 per cent of profit as bonus of timber and 20 per cent of bamboo. During the year 2005-06 and 2006-07, Rs 21.54 crore has been distributed in 12 districts. During the year 2007-08 an amount of total Rs 26.98 crore has been distributed among forest committees. During the year 2008-09 as per the available budget Rs 20 crores have been distributed. The remaining amount has been disbursed during the year 2009-10. During the year 2009-10 the joint forest management committees acquired an amount of about Rs 30 crores as dividend which is being distributed.

A plan worth Rs 12.58 crore has been prepared to provide training in business management, financial management and forest management to 1,72,312 members of the joint forest management committees. With this the committees will be developed into “Small, Medium and Enterprises” (EME).

Under national afforestation programme, constituting of the Forest Development Authority is a unique programme of the forest department on the path of development by the joint management committees. This will ensure all round development of the villages and making available new employment opportunities to the local people.

The Forest Development Authority is the apex body of joint forest management committees. This is being set up on the lines of District Rural Development Authority. At the state level, Madhya Pradesh State Forest Development Authority has been constituted in the month of April this year.

Under the sanctioned project of the Forest Development Authority, saplings are being planted through the committees. Along with sapling plantation programme, awareness training, micro management scheme, land and water management, valuation and other works are being done in a faster way. In the next 5 years in Madhya Pradesh the already disintegrated forest area of 76,500 hectares will be regenerated and with natural reproduction, special attention will be paid on bamboo, medicinal plants, jatropha plantation and other species. The Forest Development Authority is getting subsidy from the Central Government. After recommendation by the working committee of the Authority the desired works are being conducted. During the last ten financial years from 2001-2002 to 2009-2010, the total amount of Rs 14,307.37 lakh was received and with this amount so far plantation has been done on an area of 1,03,276 hectares of land.

1914 forest management committees are associated with forest development authorities in 15 regional forest circles of 37 districts. In this unique plan and with people’s participation the forest cover of the state has increased and also it created employment opportunities to the villagers.

The State Forest Development Authority has the responsibility to coordinate with the works of forest development authorities and advise them, receiving projects to be done by the committees from the forest development authorities and send them to the Central Government after recommendations, allot funds to the forest development authorities after receipt from the state or central government, work towards improvement of environment, coordination between the primary forest produce committees and district forest produce unions, coordination with Rajiv Gandhi Water Mission, integrated development of joint forest management committees, and encourage works related to progress and trade etc.

There are 925 forest villages in the state. Out of them 58 are situated in national parks or abhayaranyas or are deserted. In the population of forest villages 76.62 per cent are tribals, 14.21 are belonging to scheduled caste, 2.86 per cent are other backward classes and 6.31 per cent belonging to other communities. For infrastructure development of 867 forest villages, as on March 2010, an amount of Rs 259.94 crore was received from the Government of India at different times. Out of this Rs 232.68 crore have already been spent.

Under forest village development plan through forest development authorities, works of infrastructure development of forest villages like development of water resources - ponds, tubewells, hand pumps, wells, stop dams, community centres, anganwadis, health centres, roads, construction of bridges and culverts, and making available alternate source of energy etc are being done. With these works there were opportunities of employment and economic and social development of the villagers were also improved.

Health check up of forest dwellers, organizing medical camps and distribution of vitamin tablets, presenting midwifery kits to pregnant women etc are also being done. At the same time mobile clinic vans are also being made available. Action is also being taken to open fair price shops and preparation of ration cards to the forest dwellers.