Odisha To Create Land Bank Of 10,000 Ha. Of Degraded Forest Land

09 March, Bhubaneswar

Odisha government has decided to keep at least 10,000 hectares of degraded forest land in Land bank for compensatory afforestation against the forest diversions done for railway, national highway and coal mine projects.

State Chief Secretary G C Pati Monday directed the Forest and Environment Department to identify and put 10,000 hectares of degraded forest land in land bank.

Pati also directed Forest Department to move the Union government for constitution of regional forest and environment committee for quicker decision on diversion proposals.

Issues relating to forest diversion, alignment of roads, disbursement of compensation, laying of underground pipe line, felling of trees, social implication studies, DGPS survey, land acquisition, possession of acquired land by the project developers, issue of NOC should be resolved by the committee.

The Chief Secretary gave these directions while presiding over the Project monitoring group of cabinet committee attended by Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Dr V P Joy, Principal Secretary PPP Cell Pradeep Kumar Jena and others.

The meeting reviewed the progress of around 40 projects in the state. The Chief Secretary directed field level Forest and Revenue officials to take pro-active steps for quick grounding of investment projects.

The project proponents were asked to take possession of land already handed over to prevent encroachment and to expedite implementation of the projects, fulfill rehabilitation commitments and CSR obligations. Pati warned stringent action would be taken against habitual trouble makers who obstruct the work under some or other ground.

Major projects such as Jharsuguda-Barpalli-Sardega Railway line,Jharsuguda-Rengali doubling, Talcher-Bimlagarh new railway line and Angul-Sukhinda new line project among others.