People's Participation

· Sustainable development” is a development, which meet the needs of the present without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

· West Bengal is pioneer state in India where the environmental consideration is integrated into social and economic welfare in the form of a policy and is called Joint Forest Management

The dispersed nature of geo-distribution of forests and almost total dependence of huge population on forests in South West Bengal, the efficient implementation of JFM demanded the services of a professional body/organization to ensure steady and expeditious harvesting operation, marketing the produce, distributing the usufruct shares to the FPCs according to governing G.O. on regular basis.

WBFDC Ltd., is the most qualified organization to meet these requirements, the task which it took in 1990s.

· To accomplish the task of harvesting the forest produce and disbursement of usufruct shares and implementation of activities for successful practice of JFM on long term basis, the WBFDC Ltd., in collaboration with West Bengal Forest Directorate has formulated a

Project entitled Project on Consolidation of JFM and Enhancement of Forest productivity. With the help of institutional finance, the WBFDC Ltd., embarked upon a 12-year project in 1998-99

· The main objectives of the project are the regeneration of degraded forest areas, harvesting operation, modern nursery, housing, vehicles, eco-tourism, storage of timber, geographical information system, JFM support activity etc.

· The total investment is Rs.4394.59 lakh and the institutional loan is Rs.3490 lakh.

· The financial liabilities include repayment of loan including interest, disbursement of FPC shares, providing Govt. royalty in terms of provisions of the project.

· Model plantations under the project provide for green belt, on boundary, comprising of indigenous hardwood species, clonal plots bearing improved planting stock of Eucalyptus clones and separate blocks for NTFP species including bamboo. Experimental plantation includes efforts to raise plantations of Sal and its associates and to introduce exotic species like Paulownia.