By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 29, 2019: The Centre on Thursday released Rs 5933.98 crore of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund to Odisha. In fact, the state got the highest allocation, followed by Chhattisgarh (Rs 5791.70 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs 5196.69 crore).

The CAMPA fund is earmarked to boost afforestation in the country. But it cannot be used for payment of salary, travelling allowances, medical expenses, et al, according to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar.

Handing over Rs 47,436 crore to 27 states for the purpose after a meeting with the Forest ministers and authorities of the states in New Delhi. Javadekar said, “The State budget for forests shall remain unaffected and the fund being transferred would be in addition to State Budget and it is expected that all States will utilize this fund towards forestry activities to achieve the objectives of the Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) of increasing its forest and tree cover, which will create an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by the year 203.”

He further emphasized that the CAMPA funds would be primarily utilised only for Compensatory Afforestation, Catchment Area Treatment, Wildlife Management, Assisted Natural Regeneration, Forest Fire Prevention and Control Operations, Soil and Moisture Conservation Works in the forest, Improvement of Wildlife Habitat, Management of Biological Diversity and Biological Resources, Research in Forestry and Monitoring of CAMPA works.”