Bhubaneswar: In a major boost towards promotion of afforestation in Odisha, the Centre today released Rs 5933.98 crore of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) fund to the state.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar today handed over Rs 47,436 crore to 27 states in this regard after a meeting with the Forest ministers and authorities of the states in New Delhi.

Odisha received the highest allocation, followed by Chhattisgarh (Rs 5791.70 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs 5196.69 crore). Bikram Keshari Arukha, Odisha Forest and Environment Minister, had attended the meeting.

"The State budget for forests shall remain unaffected and the fund being transferred would be in addition to State Budget and it is expected that all States will utilize this fund towards forestry activities to achieve the objectives of the Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) of increasing its forest and tree cover, which will create an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by the year 2030," said Javadekar.

He further emphasized that the CAMPA funds cannot be used for payment of salary, travelling allowances, medical expenses, etc.

"Important activities on which the fund will be utilised are Compensatory Afforestation, Catchment Area Treatment, Wildlife Management, Assisted Natural Regeneration, Forest Fire Prevention and Control Operations, Soil and Moisture Conservation Works in the forest, Improvement of Wildlife Habitat, Management of Biological Diversity and Biological Resources, Research in Forestry and Monitoring of CAMPA works," he added.