lamming the State government for not creating a green fund mandated by the state forest policy over the last seven years, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said that non-existence of a green fund has affected the implementation of forest development programmes and led to financial gaps in the framework.
The CAG report has pointed out that the areas of dense forest have been shrinking since 2009, despite spending nearly Rs 6,881 crore during 2007-15. The reasons, as per the India State of Forest Report 2015, were diversion of the forest areas for non-forestry purposes, and encroachments.
As per the Maharashtra State Forest policy, 2008, a green fund was to be created by the State’s forest department to support investments on wasteland development, eco-restoration, and watershed development.
The report said the budgetary allocation to the forest sector in Maharashtra during 2010-15 ranged between 0.64 per cent and 1.10 per cent, which is much less than 2.5 per cent of the total plan outlay as recommended by the National Forest Commission.
“This fund, if created, could have helped bridge the financial gap and facilitated smooth implementation of various forest development programmes and proved to be a catalyst for social forestry,” said the report.
The income accrued from compensatory afforestation, corpus of forest development tax, and resources mobilised from the levy of 2 per cent green cess on the municipal corporations using water from the forest areas were to be deposited in the fund.
The State government has also allocated inadequate funds to the forest department. Money released by the State during 2010-15 accounted for only 51 per cent of the total funds demanded by the forest department.
“A stagnant forest cover of 16.45 per cent over the last seven years coupled with distortions in release of funds and a minuscule outlay for forest and forestry-related activities indicated that this sector has not been given the priority it deserves,” said the report.
Pointing out the government’s failures by delaying the issue of notifications for mangroves and ‘zudpi jungles’ (lands that were once forest but now become degraded forest), it has warned that such delays may lead to continued denudation of forests.
The audit said against 92,117 hectares of ‘zudpi jungle’, 89,319 hectares were handed over to the forest department by the State government for notification. Of that, only 23,334 hectares (26 per cent) has been notified as protected/reserved forests. Consequently, no forest management, development, and conservation activities could be taken up on these lands.
“Delay in notification of mangroves may lead to continuing destruction of mangroves and also make them susceptible to encroachments,” said the CAG report.
In case of private forests, out of 1,66,588 hectares, only 80,722 hectares (52 per cent) has come under the government’s possession. “As a result no afforestation or conservation activities could be taken up by the forest department on this land.”
