GADCHIROLI, May 21: The Forest Department is contemplating to have participation of people living in the close vicinity of dense forests in this district in the forest management.

Talking to The Indian Express, some senior officials of the department said forest officials be appointed as Collector and Zilla Parishad's Chief Executive Officer in the district with a view to successfully implementing the Joint Forest Management Concept (JFMC).

On March 16, 1992, the then Congress Government had decided to implement the JFMC in the State. Although Maharashtra was the first state in the country to introduce the concept, the project lingered in the initial few years.

The Sena-BJP government again gave momentum to it and sought opinion of several acting and retired officials of the department. However, the picture was quite hazy.

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi convened a meeting on March 27, 1997, to discuss the matter. A Power Delegation Committee was formed at the meeting to speed up the JFMC.

The concept expects guarantee from the residents of the forest villages to protect the forest wealth and in return assures to distribute half of the forest produce among them. Barring the exception of some forest produce, e.g. tendu leaves, the villagers would be allowed to consume them. They would avail of other allied benefits as well.

The concept would be implemented treating the forest villages as core. Hence, the experts have expressed their views taking into consideration many aspects including the geographical conditions and the attitude of villagers.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.