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Beedi Leaf Incentive
Money: A reward to Tribal
Partners.
The success of participatory management was
soon recognized by the
Government by sharing
the profits of beedi
leaf with VSS members,
in the form of incentive
for their efforts towards
protection of forests.
This has not only encouraged
the VSS members to further
protect and develop
the forest resources
by also provided them
a sustainable source
of income for village
development.
Potential tool for Poverty Alleviation
There is need to continue this programme
as it has resulted in
improvement of forests
as well as communitites.
This programme has been
recognized as the potential
tool for poverty alleviation.
Recent advancement over
Joint Forest Management
to community Forest
Management is an outcome
of past experiences
and excellent relationship
developed between the
locals and department.
In addition to natural
resource management,
the VSS has also been
proved as an effective
platform for Literacy,
Health & Sanitation,
Family welfare etc to
improve the social condition
of the members.
Community Forest Management
Now, participatory forest Management under
the banner of Community
Forest Management has
been launched on 1st
November,2002. Khammam
district has also been
selected as one of the
district under this
programme out of 14
forest districts of
the State.
The new programme is an improvement over
the earlier JFM. Panchayat
Raj institutions are
given more powers right
from decision making
to implementation of
the various components.
Efforts are made to
develop organizational
link between the VSS
and the Gram Panchayat
by constituting advisory
committee headed by
Village sarpanch. This
will strengthen the
institution of VSS.
The focus is shifted
from forest and regeneration
to poverty alleviation
through sustainable
management. Under this
programme 355 VSS have
been selected in the
district. Development
activities both for
Forests and Communities
in the coming years
will be taken up with
financial assistance
from the World Bank.
The project seeks to
achieve the objective
of alleviation of rural
poverty in fringe village
by improving the forest
and strengthening the
institution of VSS.
CFM Components.
The new approach to reduce poverty through
participatory management
has three distinct components. |
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Under this programme intensive training programmes
are required to be undertaken
for the VSS members,
departmental staff and
NGOs mainly in fields
of micro planning, book
keeping, soil and moisture
conservation works,
gender issues, social
mobilization and conflict
resolution, value addition
and marketing of NRFP
etc. This will strengthen
the VSS groups especially
women and improve their
capacity to undertake
the CFM programme for
sustainability.
So far 48 training programmes
at range, division and
circle level have been
conducted for VSS, NGO
and field staff in the
circle. Besides this
large number of VSS
members, NGOs and field
staff have been trained
outside the circle in
various fields of capacity
building.
Secondly the management
of forests through required
technical and financial
inputs is expected to
improve the productivity
of degraded forest.
Treatment of such forest
areas through coppicing,
singling, tending, SMC
works and genetically
improved clonal plantation
of people’s choice will
be the integral part
under this component.
In this programme earlier
treated areas under
APFP phase-I will be
revisited besides tackling
new areas to the extent
of 44100Ha.
Further, the management
of forest through participation
will bring change in
their socio-economic
conditions and ensuring
overall development
of the VSS communities.
Alternate employment
generating activities
will be encouraged wherever
possible. Assests will
be provided to pursue
the vocation. Promising
areas identified for
employment activities
are Adda leaf plate
making, grass rope making,
cultivation of medicinal
plants, bomboo craft
and Tassar silk cultivation
etc.
Self Reliance – Future Hope
Development of local communities depends
on the degree and precision
with which the forests
are managed. The role
of forest department
as technical advisor
and the NGO as community
mobilizer is very crucial
in accomplishing this
task. This project will
strengthen the VSS institution
as a whole and sure
to bring the communities
on the path of self-reliance
in conformity with the
nature and environment. |
