Ensure forest delivery system at minimum administrative costs

The Jammu and Kashmir State Finance Commission today held a meeting with officers of Forest Department with Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Mehmood –ur-Rehman, in chair. 
The meeting was attended by the members of the Commission including Mr. Swami Raj Sharma, Prof. Nissar Ali, Mr. Sonam Dawa, Secretary of the Commission, Mr. J. L. Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Mr. Irshad Ahmad Khan and consultants Mr. G. R. Malik and Mr. B. K. Suri. 
Issues pertaining to problems of territorial forest department, forestation, problem of deforestation, social forestry, restoration of efficiency in forest management, exploitation of resource potential, resource constraint, human resource management and efficiency, forest training institute, forest research institute, and coordination of various wings of Forest Department were discussed threadbare.
The Commission is examining coordination mechanism for all forest subsidiary departments under one authority like Forest Regulatory Authority or Forest Coordination Council to restore administrative and management efficiency and economy in forest delivery system at minimum administrative costs.
The Commission was of the view that to improve resource management, increasing forest productivity, improving land management of the basins, participatory forest management and strengthening of policy and institutional framework, forest department should take the necessary measures with optimal utilization of the available infrastructure and manpower.