Deshmukh calls for more powers to states for deforestation

New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today urged the Centre to delegate to the state governments the powers for according permission for deforestation of up to 50 hectares of forest land in order to avoid delay in taking up irrigation projects.

''Beyond this, powers of recording clearance be delegated to the regional offices of the Ministry of Environment and Forest,'' he said while speaking at the 52nd meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) here.

Pointing out that the stipulation of payment of net present value of the forest cover on the land to be deforested added substantially to the cost of the project, he made a strong case for dispensing with this in respect of public projects like irrigation, water supply, electric lines, access roads for tribal habitations.

In this context, he said failure of monsoon led to financial stress on the farmers and increasing incidence of suicides in Maharashtra whose agriculture depended on the vagaries of monsoon.

Therefore, irrigation potential, which is low in Vidarbha area of Maharashtra, had to be augmented.

Mr Deshmukh recommended adoption of two measures outlined for improving finances of the states, namely requirements regarding transfer of national small savings fund to state and introduction of central goods and services tax and state goods and services tax at the rate of 10 per cent.

Referring to the high incidence of farmer suicides in the past six years, mostly in six districts of Vidarbha region, he said an assistance of Rs 12.21 crore had been given to 1,221 families of farmers who had committed suicide.

''Concerted efforts of various departments of the state and the centre have resulted in arresting trend of suicides,'' he said.

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