Question : CAMPA Funds

(a) the funds accrued and disbursed to the States under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
(b) the achievements made, in physical and financial terms, in respect of afforestation projects in the country during the said period, State-wise;
(c) whether the pace of afforestation in the country has not been satisfactory despite adequate funding, if so, the reasons therefore and the reaction of the Government thereto;
(d) whether the Government has taken up any new measures to encourage the States to improve forest cover and for the conservation of forests and wildlife and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to introduce Compensatory Afforestation Bill and if so, the aims, objectives and other details thereof including its present status?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

Statement referred to in the Answer to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.117 re.: ‘CAMPA Funds’ by Shri P.P. Chaudhary and Shri Chandra Prakash Joshi, answered in the Lok Sabha on 28th July 2015.

(a) a statement of the funds accrued in the accounts of the various States/ UTs maintained by the Ad-hoc CAMPA as on 31st March 2013, 31st March 2014 and 31st March 2015 is at Annexure ‘A’. A statement of the releases made to the CAMPAs constituted in various States/ UTs during the past three years, and in the current year, is at Annexure ‘B’ ;
(b)&(c)a statement indicating the compensatory afforestation undertaken from out of funds released to the States/ UTs CAMPAs is at Annexure ‘C’. Out of the total target of 8,48,169.2749 ha, compensatory afforestation has been undertaken on 6,74,748.5406 ha, which represents about 80% achievement of targets which is considered to be satisfactory;
(d) the State CAMPAs have been asked to draw up 5 year Action Plans for completing the backlog of Compensatory Afforestation, and further releases to the States are made subject to their complying with this requirement. Further, in the 6th meeting of the National CAMPA Advisory Council (NCAC) held on 8th July 2015, it has been decided to initiate some new grass root level schemes aimed at promotion forestry, like the Nagar Van Yojana (funds earmarked for release : Rs.50 crores for current year), and the Creation of School Nurseries (Rs.2.5 crores for current year). It is, further, proposed to take measures for improvement of habitats of Protected Areas by augmenting fodder & water in protected areas (Rs.5 crores for current year), so as to reduce the instances of human- wildlife conflict. In addition, it is sought to lend support to schemes for recovery of endangered species like Dugong (Rs.23.58 crores over 5 years); Gangetic River Dolphin (Rs.23 crores over 5 years), Great Indian Bustard (Rs.108.25 crores over 5 years), and Manipur’s Brow antlered deer , viz., Sangai. (Rs.19.95 crores over 5 years). Further, it is proposed to fund on pilot basis a power generation project in Andaman & Nicobar islands (outlay of Rs.5 crores), using abundant biomass in the form of agricultural residue and forest residue saving 2 lakh litres of diesel every year ;
(e) the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha and has been referred to the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests. The Bill aims at providing for the establishment of funds under the public accounts of India and the public accounts of each State and crediting thereto the monies received from the user agencies towards compensatory afforestation, additional compensatory afforestation, penal compensatory afforestation, net present value and all other amounts recovered from such agencies under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, constitution of an authority at national level and at each of the State and Union territory Administration for administration of the funds and to utilize the monies so collected for undertaking artificial regeneration (plantations), assisted natural regeneration, protection of forests, forest related infrastructure development, Green India Programme, wildlife protection and other related activities and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.


***