In an attempt to reduce illegal activities in the forest zone, the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) has launched a scheme called revolving fund loan for villagers who live in forest areas.
According to the forest department, the purpose of the scheme is to ensure the socio-economic development of the locals including tribal communities.
According to forest officials, most people living in fringe villages in Sathyamangalam are either partially, or totally dependent on forest resources including fire wood, fodder for cattle, grazing and other resources for their livelihood.
But, with Sathyamangalam having been declared as a Tiger Reserve, attempts were made to restrict illegal activities, without hampering the traditional rights of villagers, the forest department said.
"When restrictions are posed on villagers, some of them tend to find illegal ways of using forest resources. To prevent such illegal activities and reduce dependence on the forest, the department constituted the Village Forest Committee under the TAP (Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project) scheme," said a senior forest department official.
Currently, Eco-Development Committees have been constituted under Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation & Greening Project (TBGP) and Project Tiger that aims at the development of local community.
At present, there are more than 40 such forest and eco development committees in Hasanur Division of STR and these committees together have more than 1crore as revolving fund, said a forest department press release.
Dependency on the forest is reduced by financially supporting the communities with individual loan, SHG loan and micro credit for supporting income generation activities (IGA), agriculture allied activities, self- employment, poultry, cattle rearing, petty shops, skill development activities, etc.
"Loan is given on nominal 1% interest and the money generated by the villagers with interest is pooled back to the committee's account to be used again as revolving fund," said a forest department official.
Usually, villagers would seek loan prior to monsoon to support agriculture & allied activities. In the past week, the forest department has given revolving fund loans worth more than 28.00lakh to more than 350 villagers.
Source : Times of India
According to the forest department, the purpose of the scheme is to ensure the socio-economic development of the locals including tribal communities.
According to forest officials, most people living in fringe villages in Sathyamangalam are either partially, or totally dependent on forest resources including fire wood, fodder for cattle, grazing and other resources for their livelihood.
But, with Sathyamangalam having been declared as a Tiger Reserve, attempts were made to restrict illegal activities, without hampering the traditional rights of villagers, the forest department said.
"When restrictions are posed on villagers, some of them tend to find illegal ways of using forest resources. To prevent such illegal activities and reduce dependence on the forest, the department constituted the Village Forest Committee under the TAP (Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project) scheme," said a senior forest department official.
Currently, Eco-Development Committees have been constituted under Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation & Greening Project (TBGP) and Project Tiger that aims at the development of local community.
At present, there are more than 40 such forest and eco development committees in Hasanur Division of STR and these committees together have more than 1crore as revolving fund, said a forest department press release.
Dependency on the forest is reduced by financially supporting the communities with individual loan, SHG loan and micro credit for supporting income generation activities (IGA), agriculture allied activities, self- employment, poultry, cattle rearing, petty shops, skill development activities, etc.
"Loan is given on nominal 1% interest and the money generated by the villagers with interest is pooled back to the committee's account to be used again as revolving fund," said a forest department official.
Usually, villagers would seek loan prior to monsoon to support agriculture & allied activities. In the past week, the forest department has given revolving fund loans worth more than 28.00lakh to more than 350 villagers.
Source : Times of India
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