The forest department gets budget from many schemes, CAMPA funds are also included in this. This time the forest department has been given Rs 300 crore to spend. It has come to light that only about Rs 90 crore has been spent out of this.

Many times government departments talk of budget shortage, but the situation in the forest department is just the opposite. Here, a budget of more than three hundred crores was received from the Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), but the officers are having a tough time spending it.The situation is such that only 30 percent of the budget has been spent, while less than three months are left for the financial year to end. The forest department gets budget from many schemes, CAMPA funds are also included in this. This time the forest department has been given Rs 300 crore to spend.It has come to light that only about 90 crores have been spent. The average expenditure of the forest department in the state is 30 percent, but even in this, there are about 10 forest divisions that have been able to spend only 10 to 20 percent of the amount received. Recently, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal, in which this issue was also raised. In this, the officers were instructed to increase the pace of spending the amount.

Last year 110 crores were surrendered

This is not the first time that the forest department is not in a good position to spend. In the last financial year, 110 crores were surrendered due to non-spending. Every week, senior officials are holding meetings at the forest headquarters level regarding spending. In this, officials of the slow paced forest division have been warned, but the big question is whether the work will be completed with the expenditure of 210 crores in about three months.The expenditure is being monitored very closely. The Forest Minister and the Principal Forest Secretary have repeatedly stressed that the funds provided to the divisions should be used 100% in the interest of the state. Whatever work is done, it should be as per the standards. – Sameer Sinha, CEO CAMPA