the goan I network
MARGAO
Deputy Chief Minister, Vijai Sardesai, who also holds the forest portfolio, on Sunday promised to bring in reforms in the Forest department to open up the department’s functioning so that every Goan feel that it is his own department.
Sardesai further said the department will soon resort to seed bombing in the state forest areas to boost the forest cover, while reiterating his resolve to replace the Australian Acacia trees with local germ plasm.
He further said he has accorded his nod to the forest department to dispense with the present system of charging nominal fees for the sale of saplings, saying henceforth the department will provide saplings of fruit bearing and other forest trees to the people free of cost.
Addressing the official Vanmahotsav function at the Ravindra bhavan here in the presence of Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and senior Forest officials, Sardesai said he want to open up the Forest department so that every Goan feels proud of the department. “I want to make the Forest department friendly with the people so that local populace do not think it is an outside department. I believe that Goemkar himself should protect the land and the trees”, he said, while promising to bring the much needed reforms in the department during his tenure.
Turning his attention on the Opposition, the deputy Chief Minister said the Opposition should not oppose for the sake of opposing, asserting that the government also believes that greening of Goa should be taken forward.
“We should involve people in Vanmahotsav programmes. These programmes should not become mere formalities”, he added.
In his address, Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco suggested to the Forest Minister to take effective steps to stop monkeys and wild animals from visiting human habitation. “I do not want to touch the issue of vermin from this platform, but my plea to the Forest department to work out innovative ways to stop the monkeys from intruding in human habitation”, he said.
In his welcome address, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Subhash Chandra reminded the gathering that forests and trees are an integral party of human existence. While welcoming the people to join in the great festival of Forests, Chandra pointed out that trees support humans in their day to day life.
Meanwhile, the Forest Minister planted saplings across the 11 Margao Municipal wards falling under his Fatorda constituency as part of the celebrations.
