PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Uttarakhand government has decided to open an office of Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC) in Kumaon region. An announcement in this regard was made by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in a programme organised at his residence to mark the completion of 25 years of the establishment of the UFDC.
He said that the UFDC is crucial to the state’s economy as well as its ecology. The corporation oversees the scientific management of forests, sustainable exploitation of forest produce, mining in reserved forest areas and eco-tourism operations, as well as the government’s supply of forest products and certified timber. He added that the corporation is not limited to economic activities alone, but also contributes to the development of new forest areas by removing dry, dying and uprooted trees from forest areas.
The CM also launched ‘Himkashth’, a mobile application on this occasion and said that through this application, timber can be sold to the general public and the forest goods can also be auctioned online. He said that the corporation’s modern e-auction system and other online processes have strengthened the ease of doing business in this sector.
In his address, the CM said that a proposal for installation of bee boxes in forest areas will be soon tabled in the meeting of the State cabinet.
Dhami said that the UFDC earned a net profit of Rs 167 crore last year which is a clear proof that when policies and intentions are clear, the proper use of resources can give a new direction to development.
In the programme the CM also felicitated the children of employees of UFDC who scored more than 75 per cent in board examinations.
