JOIN USForest department looks within, assesses its projects
The Forest Department has started evaluating its works, projects and schemes by roping in retired Principal Chief Conservators of Forest (PCCFs), private organisations, researchers, sociologists and civil engineers. It wants to know which projects have failed and which are doing well.
The Central government has directed all states to assess their works. The Forest Department has many projects, the most important of which is plantation. It spends around Rs 300 crore on plantation and about Rs 80 crore on wildlife projects. Preliminary investigation shows there is 80 % success rate in roadside plantation on highways. But in dry zones like Ballari, Vijayapura and Bagalkot, co-operation from people and other departments has been tepid. “Through evaluation, we will know where better to spend the funds,” Additional PCCF (Evaluation) K N Murthy told Deccan Herald.
The department also spends on schemes like distribution of seedlings and LPG cylinders, setting up of nurseries, rainwater harvesting, building homes and tribal welfare. Murthy said that it could reduce funds to the Vana Samarthane scheme under which Hindu mutts plant and conserve saplings, besides special component plans like beekeeping and supply of bamboo poles for making homes. Schemes like soil conservation and species plantation can be improved, he said but added that a better picture would emerged only after evaluation.
The agreement on evaluation was signed in December 2015 and the work started in February 2016. But the groundwork will start only in June 2016 and the report will be ready by September-end. To ensure faster processing, an Android app has been designed for teams to update the data.
During the tendering last year, NGOs and research organisations from Dharwad, Mumbai, Kalaburagi and Bengaluru formed teams with six people each — retired forest officer, soil conservationist (retired water shed or agricultural officer), civil engineer (retired or trained), sociologist, statistician and attendant. These teams will cover all 14 circles in Karnataka, including urban and rural areas.
The Forest Department did the first evaluation of six projects in 2012: Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, First Finance Commission, National Afforestation Programme, Bamboo Mission, Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub Plan.
This was done after the government set up the Karnataka Evaluation Authority to assess the projects funded by the State and the Centre. The committee was formed after the Central government introduced an evaluating policy asking for internal evaluations and schemes funded by it across all departments in 2011.