K’taka CM increases solatium for forest staff to ₹50 lakh

Speaking after paying respects to the persons who laid down their lives in duty, as part of national forest martyrs day-2022 organised by the forest department here, he said the state’s forest cover must be increased from the current 21 per cent to 30 per cent.

The Karnataka government will hike the solatium from the existing ₹30 lakh to ₹50 lakh, aimed at ensuring stability and social security to the families of forest officials who died in the line of duty, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday.

The Karnataka government will hike the solatium from the existing ₹30 lakh to ₹50 lakh, aimed at ensuring stability and social security to the families of forest officials who died in the line of duty, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday. (ANI)

Speaking after paying respects to the persons who laid down their lives in duty, as part of national forest martyrs day-2022 organised by the forest department here, he said the state’s forest cover must be increased from the current 21 per cent to 30 per cent.

Pointing out that his predecessor, BS Yediyurappa had hiked the solatium paid to the fallen officials’ families from ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh, Bommai said the incumbent government will further hike it from ₹30 lakh to ₹50 lakh.

Besides, the government will ensure appointment of the family members to jobs on compassionate grounds and will take care of their welfare with utmost sympathy. “You protect the forest, the government will protect you,” he said.

Noting that the government has plans to increase the forest cover from 21 percent to 30 per cent, the Chief Minister pointed out that Karnataka has over four lakh hectares of barren land and afforestation can be done to increase the forest area.

Karnataka was the first state in the country to present the environment budget and ₹100 crore has been allocated, he said.

This year, an afforestation program will be taken up at a cost of ₹100 crore. A special plan has been chalked out by the forest department to conserve the ecologically sensitive areas.

The department has taken special interest to protect natural resources and minimise loss to the environment. By implementing the action plan this year, a new model will be prepared and this would help increase the forest cover, he added.

Further, calling on the forest department to strive towards reducing man-animal conflict, Bommai said the elephant menace in the state is very high and the government has provided ₹100 crore to evolve a new system in protecting people from them.