Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday demanded a green bonus of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre in recognition of the steps taken by the hill state for environment conservation.
In a letter to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rawat claimed that Uttarakhand has an edge over other states of the country when it comes to environmental conservation and therefore it must be given a green bonus of Rs 2,000 crore, the chief minister's media in-charge Surendra Kumar said in an official statement quoting him.
Such a bonus is necessary also in view of the large-scale damage caused by last year's natural calamity, the high cost of public utilities in the state, closure of hydel projects as well as lack of private investments in its hill areas, the Chief Minister said. Pointing out the extensive damage caused to basic infrastructure in the state by 2013 deluge which washed away a number of bridges and a vast network of roads, Rawat said it had dealt a fatal blow to tourism which is the mainstay of the state's economy.
With a majority of the state's population dependent on tourism, the deluge last year had led to loss of jobs and income opportunities. Noting that even the 13th Finance commission had recommended giving Uttarakhand a green bonus as a compensation, he said it will help the state handle the onerous task of managing its natural resources.
"Three-fourth of our land is covered by forests, glaciers and mountain ranges. Carrying out development work in such geographical circumstances is not an easy job. 64.8 per cent of the state's land area is covered with forests," Rawat said in his letter to Jaitley.
Noting that there is a ban on cutting of trees growing at a height of one thousand meters in the hills for commercial purposes, the chief minister said. Permitting felling of trees at this height could have been lucrative for the state but environmental protect is the prime concern. In support of his demand for a green bonus, the chief minister said there are as many as 16 reserve forest areas in the state.
He also said that the Indian Institute of Forest Management had put the value of environmental services rendered by Uttarakhand at the World Forest Congress held in Argentina in 2009 at a whopping Rs 32,000 crore per annum. He urged the Finance Minister to take into account all these factors and grant the state a green bonus of Rs 2,000 crore per annum to incentivise development in a state endowed with unique geographical features.
The Chief Minister also informed the Union Minister that only Rs 51 crore had been sanctioned for the state by the 13 Finance Commission which less than the norms. He said development was the state government's commitment but despite all its emphasis on growth it was not compromising environmental conservation.
"Because of our concern for the environment, we are not being able to take infrastructural facilities to people in a number of areas. "We need to be compensated for this as we have to strike a balance between environmental conservation and development," Rawat said in his letter.
Comments
0 comment