(a) whether the Government propose to implement Joint Forest Management Scheme in the reserved areas so as to divide the role of Panchayats in the development of forests in the country;
(b) if so, whether the Government propose to bring the Jalgam project under the Joint Forest Management Scheme; and
(c) if so, the time by which this decision is likely to be announced by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI BABU LAL MARANDI)
(a) As per provisions of National Forest Policy, 1988 Government of India had
issued guidelines to the State Governments on June 1, 1990 for involving village communities in regeneration and protection of degraded forest lands under Joint Forest Management (JFM). After a review, on February 21, 2000 Government has issued guidelines to the State Governments for strengthening JFM. As per information received from the State Governments, 22 states have issued government resolution in this regard and 10.249 million ha. forest area has been covered under JFM, which includes the notified reserved forest area. 36,130 JFM committees have been constituted in these 22 states. The JFM committees are separate entities from the Panchayats but they do have working relationship with the Panchayats.
(b) & (c) Government of India has issued broad guidelines for the purposeful and genuine involvement of people in the protection and regeneration of forest lands. The State Governments can take up Jalgam project under Joint Forest Management if the same is being implemented in the forest areas as per their resolution on Joint Forest Management.