<p>All forest officials should spend 15 days every month in the forests, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday, scoffing that they have “camped in Bengaluru”. </p>.<p>This directive applies to officers at all levels, starting from the principal secretary of the department to forest conservators.</p>.<p>Speaking after inaugurating the golden jubilee of the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation here, Bommai said that several officials are confined to their offices in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>"Stay in the forests at least for 15 days in a month. That will encourage other staff to work towards forest conservation," he said.</p>.<p>Stressing on increasing forest cover to 30%, the CM said: "In next five years, the forest land should be increased to at least 30% from the existing 23%. Every official of the department must work towards reaching that goal."</p>.<p>Bommai asked the Corporation to prepare a vision document keeping the next 50 years in mind.</p>.<p>"If the Corporation utilises Rs 100 crore fund provided in the budget properly, the government is ready to allocate another Rs 100 crore," he said.</p>.<p>"I agree that growing Nilgiri (Eucalyptus) trees is bringing profits to the Corporation. But I don't think such revenue is needed. We should think of new saplings apart from Acacia and Nilgiri," he said. </p>
<p>All forest officials should spend 15 days every month in the forests, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday, scoffing that they have “camped in Bengaluru”. </p>.<p>This directive applies to officers at all levels, starting from the principal secretary of the department to forest conservators.</p>.<p>Speaking after inaugurating the golden jubilee of the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation here, Bommai said that several officials are confined to their offices in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>"Stay in the forests at least for 15 days in a month. That will encourage other staff to work towards forest conservation," he said.</p>.<p>Stressing on increasing forest cover to 30%, the CM said: "In next five years, the forest land should be increased to at least 30% from the existing 23%. Every official of the department must work towards reaching that goal."</p>.<p>Bommai asked the Corporation to prepare a vision document keeping the next 50 years in mind.</p>.<p>"If the Corporation utilises Rs 100 crore fund provided in the budget properly, the government is ready to allocate another Rs 100 crore," he said.</p>.<p>"I agree that growing Nilgiri (Eucalyptus) trees is bringing profits to the Corporation. But I don't think such revenue is needed. We should think of new saplings apart from Acacia and Nilgiri," he said. </p>
