Bhubaneswar: During the financial year 2020-21, the State Forest Department has formulated forestry projects of Rs. 602 crore which are duly approved by MGNREGA Convergence Committee. These projects will be executed this year. Last year, Forest Department has utilised Rs.70 Crore in forestry projects
under MGNREGA.
Plantations & Nurseries, Soil Moisture Conservation Works, Digging of Trench around Forest, SSO Timber, Forest Road & Other works are normally carried out by Forest Dept. utilising MGNREGA funds. The Forest Road repairs are taken up first time under MGNREGA.
Under this scheme, there is a plantation target of around 40,000 hectare of area & 5,000 Row Kilometer Avenue Plantation. Besides this, 3 crore 50 lakh seedlings will be distributed among all beneficiaries, out of which, 17,340 hectare area & 2,687 Row Kilometer Avenue Plantation have been achieved
and 58 lakh seedlings have been distributed up to 15th August, 2020.
So far funds to the tune of Rs. 65 crore has been utilized and 35 lakh Mandays has been generated during 2020-21 up to 15th August, 2020 against the last year’s total utilization of Rs.86 crore.
The generation of high employment opportunities under MGNREGA would cater to the large number of migrant labourers amid prevalent COVID pandemic apart from restoration of forests, eco-system & bio-diversity, Minister, Forest & Environment Sri Bikram Keshari Arukha expressed.
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