Women groups to be on priority for joint forest mgmt programme

The state has planned to rope in women groups in the state Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme through developing partnerships between fringe forest communities and the forest department of Maharashtra, reports Sayli Udas Mankikar

The state has planned to rope in women groups in the state Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme through developing partnerships between fringe forest communities and the forest department of Maharashtra.

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This move will not only help women become more self-sufficient but the forest department will also get more hands in the scheme that aims to increase the state’s green cover.

The JFM is a scheme floated by the Government of India a decade ago where the two partners — JFM and forest department - work together in defined roles and responsibilities where degraded forest areas and block plantation raised under social forestry are taken up.

The net proceeds from the final harvest are shared between government and members of the firest management committee in a 1:1 ratio. The income received from the block plantation schemes of the social forestry is distributed between the village panchayat and the government in ratio of 9:1.

Works such as managing the forest nursery, afforestation measures, measures to protect forest fires, sapling protection will be given to these groups depending on their experience and capacity.

They will be compensated in proportion of their works, the GR says.