Bhubaneswar: December 19: Ama Jungle Yojana (AJY) of the State Government has received wide community acceptance in forest areas of the State. It has been extended to 23 forest divisions covering 158000 hector of forest area this was known from the High Power Committee Meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Aditya Prasad Padhi in secretariat conference hall recently in which Additional Chief Secretary Forest & Environment Sri Suresh Mohapatra outlined the issues for discussion. Taking a division wise review of the progress, Chief Secretary Sri Padhi directed to intensify alternative livelihood promotion activities in the concerned areas so as to reduce direct dependence of people on the forest. Chief Secretary directed to carry forward the sustainable livelihood activities in convergence with MGNREGS and Odisha Livelihood Mission programmes.
Review revealed that presently AJY is being implemented through Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society of Forest & Environment department. The main objective of the scheme is to promote sustainable forest management in the State on participatory mode with Vana Surakshya Samities (VSS). So far, the project has been extended to 23 territorial and wild life forest divisions in various districts like Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Gajpati, Keonjhar, Angul, Sundargarh, Phulbani, Koraput, Rayagada, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Keonjhar, Malkangiri and Kandhamal. A total number of 3180 VSS have been formed and made functional in these forest divisions. Each VSS is entrusted with responsibility of developing and taking care of around 50 hectors of forest. The activities like silvi cultural operations, soil and moisture conservation, fire line tracing, checking of forest fire, natural regeneration, increasing density of degraded forest, assisted natural regeneration, entry point developmental activities in the forest villages etc are taken up through these VSS. As of now, a total forest area of around 133731 hector has been treated under natural regeneration and green coverage in 1010 hect have been deepened through block plantation. Capacity building training on alternative means of livelihood is imparted to VSS and SHG members.
Available data show, around 2.05 lakh beneficiaries have been brought into the fold of livelihood activities. Around Rs.265 cr has been provisioned under the programme during last two fiscal years. So far, a total amount of around Rs. 217 cr has been utilized in these activities. Chief Secretary Sri Padhi directed to take up more livelihood activities in convergence with MGNREGS and Livelihood Mission. Target was set in the meeting to cover a total number of 7000 VSS in coming year.
Development Commissioner Sri Asit Kumar Tripathy, Additional Chief Secretary Forest and Environment Sri Suresh Chnadra Mohapatra, Principal Secretary Forest and Environment Dr Chandra Sekhar Kumar, Principal Secretary Panchyati Raj Sri Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, PCCF-cum- Project Director Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society Sri Lalit Tiwari, CCF-cum- Additional Project Director Dr Meeta Biswal along with senior officers of the concerned department participated in deliberations.
