Assam Govt mooted plans to add more land in reserved forests?

GUWAHATI, March 12 ? State Forest Minister GC Langthasa today informed the State Assembly that the Government has mooted a proposal to add 309135 hectares of additional land in the reserved forests. Replying to a question by Hitendra Nath Goswami (AGP), the Forest Minister said that at present 23.424 sq km area, that is 30.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the State, is under forest cover. He said that as per norms, the forest cover should be at least 33 per cent of the total geographical area. Langthasa revealed that the State has 20 national parks and sanctuaries for regular patrolling by the armed forest personnel. The camps have been equipped with wireless system for better communication and vehicles, elephants and boats have been provided wherever necessary. To get the cooperation and sympathy of the nearby villagers around the sanctuaries and national parks, some development activities have been executed in such villages.

The Forest Minister said that the total number of tigers in the Manas national park, according to the census carved out in the year 2000, was 65. He said that steps for protection of the park, which has been declared as a world heritage site, is a continuous process. Langthasa said that the fight against the illegal felling of trees, the Assam Forest Regulation Act has been amended. He revealed that in case of seized materials and transportation, the rate of fines have been increased, while, the seized trucks are constricted. The Government is also planning to increase the size of the Assam Forest Protection Force by raising one more battalion, he added. The Forest Minister further said that the vacant posts of forest rangers are being filled up by promoting the deputy rangers. He revealed that as on March 1, 2001, 40 posts of forest rangers were lying vacant. The Forest Minister, while replying to a question by Gunin Hazarika (AGP), said that a crop insurance scheme for the areas falling within five km of the national parks and sanctionaries is under consideration of the Government of India. He said that no plan has been mooted to catch wild elephants.