ITC with AP Forest joint agreement for rehabilitation of Jam oil plantations: Cultivation in 30 thousand acres in next three years at a cost of Rs 9 Cr
ITC to help 1453 Vana Samrakshana Samithi’s (VSS)
30,000 acres to VSS in the next three years
ITC will help around 9 crore rupees
For forest development and environment protection. Actions at full scale: Says Head of the Forest Forces, PCCF Mr. Y. Madhusudana Reddy IFS
ITC has entered into an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for restoration of Jam oil plantations in five districts of Andhra Pradesh where there are VSS. A partnership agreement was signed between PCCF Mr. Y. Madhusudana Reddy, ITC Divisional Head, Plantations and Ram Material ITC Limited, Sunil Pandey at the Forest Department headquarters on Monday.
On this occasion, PCCF & HoFF Madhusudana Reddy said that under the VSS, in 2002, to increase greenery in the forest areas in Eluru, Anakapalli, Tirupati, Nellore and Palnadu districts, VSS was formed by including the villages close to the forest.
Since then plantations have been raised and kept under their care. Eucalyptus plantations under the management of 1453 VSS in about 30 thousand acres in five districts will now be put up for sale as they have reached maturity.
As a part of the plantation development program, the cost of all the work required by the VSS will be spent by the ITC to the forest conservation societies in five districts as part of this agreement.
He said that they will also provide technical support to the members of the VSS along with providing the necessary materials, plants for fresh plantation, gap fillings, coppice cutting and singling operations.
He said that the villages located near the forest areas will be included as members of these VSS and half of the income will be given to them.
Due to this they not only take the responsibility of forest conservation but also generate income. They explained that there will be an opportunity to use it. With this agreement, along with technical and financial assistance, forest development will be done and environmental protection will be done, he said.
Sources of ITC said that their activities will be to support Andhra Pradesh in industrial development, provide employment opportunities to the unemployed, make wood available to the people and increase the growth of forests and increase the percentage of oxygen. PCCFs BK Singh, RP Khajuria and others participated in the program. –
