Centre provides Rs 40.64 crore to NE states under NAP scheme

Shillong, Dec 10 (UNI) The Union Environment and Forests Ministry has provided Rs 40.64 crore to the Northeastern states under the National Aforestation Programme (NAP) scheme during 2007-08.

An official statement said here today, the scheme aimed to regenerate degraded forests in the NE.

It was being implemented through Forest Development Agencies at the forest division level and Joint Forest Management Committees at the village level.

The National Forest Policy, 1988, envisaged that the hilly and mountainous regions should have two-thirds of the area under forest cover.

The Ministry mooted a scheme - the Gram Van Yojana - for aforestation on non-forest lands to increase the forest and tree cover.

During the last three years (2004-2007), funds amounting to Rs 773.87 crore were released under the NAP scheme, as well as for maintenance of plantations raised during the Ninth Five-Year-Plan.

UNI