Lawmakers suggest making forests basis for economic prosperity

Lawmakers have stressed the need of paving ways for economic development making forests as the basis for economic earnings. Taking part in discussion on different headings of the Ministry of Forest and Environment under the Appropriation Bill-2076 in today's meeting of the House of Representatives, they laid emphasis on making forest the source of income in reference to the campaign 'Green forests are Nepal's wealth' launched longtime ago.

They said that horticulture as well as commercial farming of herbs and medicinal plants could be done inside the forests, adding that there would be improvement in people's living standard and state could take benefit from it. The lawmakers also suggested the government to allocate sufficient amount of budget in forest sector as the forest would become the basis of prosperity if government implemented programmes which links the citizen.

There was no alternative to moving ahead by utilizing forests at a time when the data has been released that out of total area of the country, 44 per cent is forest area.

On the occasion, lawmaker Bimala BK said that people from the conservation area have been facing problem due to conflict between human beings and wildlife and stressed the need of taking initiative to resolve it.

Similarly, Hit Bahadur Tamang said that the government has allocated budget for coming fiscal year 2019/20 keeping forest sector in special priority. He stressed that the Forest and Environment Ministry should prepare plan, programme and budget to pay attention in order to utilize timber.

Likewise, Bharat Kumar Shah stressed on implementing 'Green forests are Nepal's wealth' slogan into practice and support and collaboration of all was necessary on it. He also urged the ministry to forward effective programme to control forest fire and deforestation.

Lawmaker Prem Prasad Tulachan demanded that the government make Mustang pocket zone of apple by managing budget to help grow apple on hundreds of hectares of barren lands in the district. "There is a need to increase budget to grow apple in Mustang which is favourable for its production," he said.

Hira Gurung criticised the budget as tilting towards uplifting the living standards of only a section of women under the 'President Women Upliftment Programme'. Laxmi Kumari Chaudhary viewed that a trend of rewarding those promoting organic farming be established, and demanded an end to middle persons' intervention in the sale of agricultural products while depriving farmers of their actual labour prices.

Similarly, Gyan Kumari Chhanyal defended the budget while demanding additional budget to open additional four cold stores in four municipalities of Baglung district.
The House of Representatives will next meet at 11:00 am tomorrow.