The Department of Water Resources is launching a forest land bank scheme within the next six months. Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil told The Hindu that thousands of acres of vacant land was available with his department. Afforestation will be taken up on this land and then the forest land bank will be created. He said that encroachers have occupied portions of land in some project areas bordering townships.
Mr. Patil, who has held several review meetings with managing directors of irrigation corporations, chief engineers and administrators, said that region-wise maintenance of forest areas would be taken up as each one of them had a distinct rain pattern, type of soil, species of trees and forest produce.
A land survey would be ordered and completed in about four months, at a cost of Rs. 100 crore, he said.
Professionals from the Forest Department, universities of Agricultural Sciences and experts would be involved in the new venture.
Compensation
On acquiring land from farmers for fresh irrigation projects, the Minister said that farmers’ consent would be taken for acquisition and they would be given compensation in terms of market value. Land losers would be provided jobs and their children given education. Besides, they would be given HUDCO houses.
He said that the government would think of making pension-like monthly payments in lieu of one-time compensation to safeguard the interests of land losers. He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was in favour of this.
Retrospective payment
He said that following the Central Land Acquisition Act, the State government may have to make a payment of Rs. 10,000 crore retrospectively to farmers wherever acquisition awards had been completed.
On the Upper Krishna Project, he said that the Union government would share 90 per cent of the cost under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme. This, he said, would help rehabilitate and resettle farmers too.
