By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 6 Mar: Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has stated that herbs will be grown on a total of 10 thousand hectares of land in the state, including 5,000 hectares land of 500 Van Panchayats with an investment of Rs 628 crores under a special forest department project.
Uniyal also stated that 11 Herbal Aroma Tourism Parks will also be developed under a Rs 628 crore project for Forest Panchayats.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Uniyal revealed that, under the project, ten thousand people will be given training in growing herbs. In India, the Van Panchayat system exists only in the state of Uttarakhand. He reminded that the Van Panchayat system was started in 1930 to fulfil the basic needs of the local villagers by preserving the forests adjacent to the villages in the hills. The formation, demarcation and administration of Forest Panchayats rests with the Revenue Department and the responsibility of technical support for the management of Panchayat forests rests with the Forest Department.
Uniyal claimed that the intention of the state government is to connect the people of hills with forest development by linking forest panchayats with many schemes and employment-oriented plantations, so that employment opportunities can be ensured to raise the income of the villagers.
