· States should act on guidelines issued by the Centre

· Forest Policy lauds relationship between tribals and forests

NEW DELHI: Union Environment and Forests Minister A. Raja said here on Wednesday that the private sector needed to be involved in plantation activities if the target of 33 per cent forest cover was to be achieved.

Addressing the State Forest Ministers conference, he said: "This can be ensured by facilitating access of the private sector to government wasteland and by rationalising the restrictive felling, transit and trade regulations in respect of trees grown on private land."

To achieve the target, the forest cover needed to be increased by 5 million hectares annually, almost five times the current rate of plantation, he said. "With a substantial amount of potential land falling outside the recorded forest area and significant part of that under private tenure, it would be essential to involve the private sector in plantation activities," he said.

He asked the States to recognise the long-term importance of this and act on the guidelines issued by the Centre for simplification of rules on felling of trees grown on non-forest private land. Referring to the need to protect and conserve the existing forest areas, Mr. Raja told the delegates that the size of the Integrated Forest Protection Scheme could be increased to give more financial assistance to the State Governments from next year but also underlined the need for the States to provide their share in their budgets to facilitate quick flow of central assistance.

He said the National Forest Policy appreciated the symbiotic relationship between the tribal people and forests and the need to protect forest dwellers and their customary rights on forestland. In this connection, the Centre had regularised pre-1980 eligible encroachments of over 3.66 lakh hectares of forestland besides converting 511 forest villages of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttaranchal into revenue villages, Mr. Raja said.

Pointing out that no proposal for settlement of disputed claims of tribals had been received from any other State or Union Territory, the Minister asked the States to complete verification of claims of forest dwellers on priority, and in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry recently.

Mr. Raja underscored the need to lift the ban on recruitment to frontline posts so that patrolling to check smuggling and poaching in remote and difficult parts could be improved. He also advised the State Governments to implement the Central guidelines on dealing with acute stagnation in various cadres of the Indian Forest Service.