Himalayan states revive demand for green bonus and separate ministry

Shimla: Ten years after adopting the "Shimla Declaration' making a forceful claim for 'Green Bonus' – a special incentive for preserving forests, 11 Himalayan states – whose Chief Ministers were gathered at Mussoorie on Sunday, strongly advocated the need for incentivising the states.

The demand for 'green bonus' was raised in the presence of Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who presided over the Himalayan states Chief Ministers' conclave.

Though the primary agenda for the conclave included issues like the need of water conservation, saving rivers, glaciers, lakes and water bodies, which are depleting, the states' made a unanimous voice for a green bonus for the scarifying revenue in preserving and saving forests.

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, in particular, gave an example that his small hill state, which its meagre resources, has potential to generate an income of Rs 4,000 crore per annum from the forest wealth. But, in the national interest, the state has sacrificed the revenue resources.

There is a strong rationale behind the demand for the green bonus, he said.

In 2009, when Prem Kumar Dhumal was the Chief Minister, the Himalayan states Chief Ministers at a similar conclave, held for the first time, had raised the demand for the green bonus in a joint declaration adopted on October 31.

Then union minister for forests and environment Jairam Ramesh had endorsed the demand.

He said, "The states will start reaping the benefits of such a step from next year when the XIII Finance Commission submits its report. "I have discussed the issue with the chairman of Finance Commission for giving these benefits to the states having preserved their green cover," he declared at end of the conclave.

Ramesh, however, had rejected the demand for a separate ministry for the Himalayan States. Once again at Mussoorie, the Chief Ministers in one voice raised the pitch for twin demand to the union finance minister.

Jai Ram Thakur said, "There is a strong demand for formulating a holistic, inclusive and consistent development policy for Himalayan states so that despite all bottleneck because of tough topographical conditions, these states could progress at par with other states of the country." Jai Ram Thakur said that about 66 per cent geographical area of Himachal Pradesh is covered by forests.

"If ecologically viable and scientific silviculture practices are allowed, the state can earn additional annual revenue of about Rs 4,000 crore," he added

However, due to national laws and orders of courts, the state is neither able to get full revenue from its forest wealth nor undertaking developmental activities on a larger geographical area.

Therefore, Himachal Pradesh should be suitably compensated for being deprived of revenue worth crores of rupees for being denied harnessing its forest wealth, said Himachal CM.

Besides Sitharaman, Chairman of 15th Finance Commission N K Singh, Deputy Chairman of the NITI Aayog Rajiv Kumar, Chief Ministers, special representatives of few North Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir besides senior government officials were present. States presented a detailed agenda to the Finance Minister.

Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur — took part in the conclave. The only absence was of Assam, which has been ravaged by the floods, said a senior government official told Millennium Post in Shimla.

Needless to mention, BJP's manifesto for 2019 polls has a mention about granting a green bonus to the state Himalayan states.