Fadnavis asks for faster tiger reserve village relocation using CAMPA funds

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that funds available under CAMPA can bring a major positive change to the lives of people living in reserve areas, for the sake of forest conservation. He directed that the fund be used to complete the relocation of villages in tiger projects and other protected areas.

The Maharashtra Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (Maha CAMPA) met on Monday at the Sahyadri guest house. Fadnavis chaired the meeting and made these remarks while reviewing works. Forest Minister Ganesh Naik joined the meeting by video conference.

The Chief Minister said afforestation, and soil and water conservation works carried out with this fund should be checked using satellite and modern technology. The present method of inspecting works under CAMPA should be changed to bring more transparency, he said. Some samples from completed afforestation works should be selected and surveyed. The agencies concerned should give serious attention to soil and water conservation and afforestation works and complete them.

Fadnavis also said funds should be sought from the Centre, with sustained lobbying, from the National CAMPA Fund to relocate villages in the state's reserved forest areas in phases. To make up the shortage of human resources in the state-level CAMPA authority, contract staff should be engaged.

He also asked for the process of opening an account with the Reserve Bank for the state's reserve fund to be completed. He was informed that efforts would be made to earn higher interest on this fund by choosing good investment options. The Chief Minister also directed that, for the state's ambitious drive to plant 300 crore trees, afforestation be carried out on a large scale from this fund and non-forest land be brought within forest cover.

On the grassland development programme, Fadnavis said that in the present drought conditions the programme should be run effectively with this fund. This would further secure the availability of fodder.

Those present at the meeting were Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) Sanjay Khandare, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Vikaschandra Rastogi, Environment Secretary Jayshree Bhoj, Agriculture Secretary Parimal Singh, Rural Development Secretary Chandrakant Pulkundwar, MITRA chief executive officer Praveen Pardeshi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) M. Srinivas Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Srinivas Reddy, and CAMPA chief executive officer Yatbon.

Details of the work done so far were also presented. Under compensatory afforestation, planting has been completed on 1,07,865 hectares so far. Between 2019-20 and 2025-26, 562 residences and 83 offices were built. Sixty-two rest houses for women have also been built. Under the grassland development programme, work was completed on 15,724 hectares. So far, 55 villages in tiger projects and other protected areas have been relocated with this fund.