Work on Bamboo Mission will be speeded up in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal:Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Bamboo Mission will be implemented at a fast pace in Madhya Pradesh. He said that the forest dwellers of the state will be motivated to plant high quality bamboo and efforts will be made to increase the income of the forest dwellers through bamboo production. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has said that there should be a revolution in the field of high quality bamboo production in Madhya Pradesh and through this the lives of forest dwellers should be improved. Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan was taking a meeting of the Forest Department in Bandhavgarh National Park of Umaria district.

Forest Minister Dr. Kunwar Vijay Shah, Tribal Welfare Minister Sushri Meena Singh, Food and Consumer Protection Minister Shri Bisahulal Singh, MLA Vijayaragaugarh Shri Sanjay Pathak, State’s Chief Secretary Shri Iqbal Singh Bains, Principal Secretary Forest Shri Ashok Kumar Varnwal snd senior officials of the Forest Department were present in the meeting. The Chief Minister said in the meeting that bamboo-based small scale industries should be encouraged in Madhya Pradesh and efforts should be made to provide employment to people through bamboo and forest dwellers should be benefited on a large scale. The Chief Minister said that efforts should be made to promote and protect forest produce apart from Tendu patta in Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister said that the natural forests of the state like Chironji, Mahua, Behda, Amla and other natural forests should be conserved and promoted.

The Chief Minister said that the work of conservation and promotion of natural forests should be taken very seriously. He said that large scale plantation should be done to promote forest produce in the state. The Chief Minister said that constant efforts should be made to ensure that forest dwellers get proper benefits of forest produce. The state government has declared support price for 32 species of forest produce, which should be widely publicized so that collectors of forest produce can get fair price. The Chief Minister said that cultivation of medicinal plants should also be encouraged in the state.

While reviewing the objectives of the concept of Buffer Mein Safar of the state in the meeting, the Chief Minister said that efforts should be made to promote tourism in forests under the Buffer Mein Safar programme in the state, action plan should be started within the time limit in the 24 identified buffer zones in the state. In the meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed the action plan for tree plantation from the funds received from Andaman and Nicobar group of islands and directed the officials to ensure the protection of forests by planting trees with this amount. He said that the authenticity of plantation should be ensured. In the meeting, the forest minister of the state informed that an action plan is being prepared to start four new tiger safari in Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Satpura in the state. Action is being ensured for the establishment of new sanctuaries in Sagar and Burhanpur. He informed that a new Plantation Act is being brought in Madhya Pradesh. Also, the Wood Industry and Operations Act is proposed to provide facilities to wood producing farmers and traders. The Forest Minister informed that the Gram Van Samitis are also being empowered in the state and the improvement of forests is being done through them. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan also reviewed wildlife management in the meeting.