Survey will be conducted in forest villages; those left out will also be given land leases : CM Dr. Yadav

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has said that land leases will also be given in forest villages. A survey will be conducted in the forest villages, and those eligible individuals who were left out will also be respectfully provided with land leases. He said that dense forests are the identity of Madhya Pradesh. Therefore, the Forest Department should further expand the state’s unique dense forest wealth and wildlife tourism facilities to increase its permanent income sources. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav was addressing the review meeting of the Forest Department’s activities at Samatva Bhawan, located at the Chief Minister’s residence, on Friday. He said that spotting a tiger is the main attraction for tourists coming to Madhya Pradesh, which is also a major source of income for the Forest Department. Hence, necessary facilities in the buffer areas should be expanded, and services of experts should be taken. The Chief Minister directed senior forest officers to visit Gujarat’s Vantara, observe their wildlife rescue center, and thoroughly study the possibilities of establishing a similar large rescue center in Madhya Pradesh.

Chief Secretary Mr. Anurag Jain, Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office Dr. Rajesh Rajora, Additional Chief Secretary of Forest Department Mr. Ashok Barnwal, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance Mr. Manish Rastogi, PCCF Mr. Aseem Srivastava, and Chief Wildlife Warden, along with other officers, were present in the meeting.

Forest personnel posted in Naxal-affected areas will be honoured

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that forest officers and employees posted in Naxal-affected areas of the state will be honored by providing them with a nutritious diet allowance and special allowance. The Forest Department should also consider and propose out-of-turn promotions for forest personnel who perform outstandingly in forest protection.

Three of the country’s top five tiger reserves are in MP

The Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department informed that the central government had graded all the tiger reserves of the country. Out of the five best tiger reserves in the country, three are situated in the sacred land of Madhya Pradesh, which is a matter of great pride for the state. He informed that in the last financial year, more than 1.67 lakh forest tourists visited tiger reserves across the country, of which over 80,000 tourists came to the three tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh. Currently, 9 tiger reserves are operational in Madhya Pradesh. A notification has also been issued for the establishment of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Sanctuary in a 258.64 sq. km. forest area in Sagar district.

1,390 sq. km. increase in forest cover of the state

It was informed in the meeting that due to the government’s forest-friendly policies between the year 2003 and 2023, there has been an increase of a total of 1,390 square kilometers in Madhya Pradesh’s forest cover. Against the forest revenue collection target of ₹1,650 crore, ₹1,646.07 crore revenue was recorded in the last financial year. Out of this, a dividend of ₹189.82 crore was distributed to forest committees. The current financial year’s forest revenue target is ₹1,700 crore. It was informed that in 2024-25, more than 5.67 crore saplings have been planted by the Forest Department. During the same period, 7,360 hectares have been planted with bamboo under the National Bamboo Mission.

4.31 lakh hectares of degraded forest converted to healthy forest

It was informed in the meeting that all maps of the Forest Department have been uploaded on the Gati Shakti portal and are also available on Google Earth. Under the “Anubhuti” program in the last financial year, more than 1.21 lakh participants in 1,903 national schools were given the message of nature conservation. Through Joint Forest Management, 4.31 lakh hectares of degraded forest in the state have now been converted to good forest. Out of 925 forest villages in the state, 792 forest villages have been converted into revenue villages. In 66 forest villages within protected areas, action is underway. It was also informed that under the Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, five sites in the state – Patalkot, Naro Hills, Amarkantak, Sirpur Lake, and Valmi Campus (Bhopal) – have been declared biodiversity heritage sites.

Response time for forest protection and fire management reduced from 8 hours to 3 hours
The PCCF informed that under forest protection and effective fire management, the response time for forest department officials and employees to reach the site and carry out firefighting actions has now been reduced to 3 hours, compared to the previous 8 hours. It was also informed that 1.05 lakh people have been registered on the FSI (Forest Survey of India) portal to receive fire alerts – the highest number in the country.

Preparation for establishing zoos and rescue centers in Ujjain and Jabalpur
The Additional Chief Secretary of Forests informed that a proposal has been made for fencing in 160 kilometers of protected areas. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared for establishing a zoo and rescue center in Ujjain and has been sent for approval to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), New Delhi. Similarly, a DPR is being prepared for establishing a zoo and rescue center in Jabalpur.

Plan to set up breeding centres for Mahseer fish in Narmada and turtles, crocodiles, and gharials in Chambal

The Additional Chief Secretary of Forests said that for the conservation and development of aquatic life, there are plans to set up breeding centres for Mahseer fish in the Narmada River and for turtles, crocodiles, and gharials in the Chambal River. Similarly, conservation reserves are being established in Omkareshwar Sanctuary, Tapti Conservation Reserve, and Sonewani (District Balaghat). He also informed that preparations are underway to reintroduce cheetahs this year in the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.