Uttaranchal demands access to carbon credits

New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) The hill state of Uttaranchal today demanded access to carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol.

Speaking at the National Development Council meeting here, state Cabinet Minister Indira Hridyesh said 65 per cent of Uttaranchal was covered by forest and the cost of development for the hill state has gone up due to forest regulations, but there has been no incentive for it.

''Therefore, there should be a centrally sponsored and supported mechanism to help us access Carbon credits,'' she said.

Carbon credits units of certified emission reductions (CERs), each of which is equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide reduction. India has emerged as a world leader in reduction of greenhouse gases by adopting Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) in the past two years.

Developed countries that have exceeded the levels can either cut down emissions, or borrow or buy carbon credits from developing countries.

She urged the Planning Commission to pay special attention to employment creation in the state.

This strategy, the Minister said, must specifically target the unemployed groups. It should be based on a scientific analysis of available skill hierarchy, existing and projected as well as the required skill hierarchy in future, across sectors and then it should be linked with a serious Human Resource Development effort.

She pointed out that there was a serious disconnect between the skill sets imparted in ITIs and Polytechnics and the requirements of sunrise sectors of industry and service sector which are employment intensive. Such skill in agriculture and diversified agriculture and linked agriculture/Horticulture based industry and Services sector was also required, she said.

Ms Hridyesh asserted that the state will achieve the growth target of 11.5 per cent set by the Planning Commission.

''This was based on our needs as well as our performance in the last Plan period. We accept it and assure you that we will strive to do better than this,'' she said.

The Minister said that based on the approach paper, the government had also prepared an Uttatanchal-specific approach paper and sent it to Planning Commission. ''The first and fore most issue addressed by this paper is regarding inclusive growth. We propose to deal with it at two levels. First to target identified disadvantaged economic and social groups and second, to target the regional imbalances within the State.'' She urged the Centre to pay greater attention to investing into Research and Development.

Uttaranchal Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tewari could not come to attend the NDC meeting because of the visit of President APJ Abdul Kalam to the state today.

UNI NAZ VD RS1953