The Punjab government has chalked out a comprehensive programme to increase the forest cover of the state to 15% and state was negotiating with Japan for technological tie up in this ambitious project.Disclosing this here today, Chunni Lal Bhagat, Forests Minister said that he has already okayed a plan allocation of Rs.700 crore for this project and expressed satisfaction over the fact that the forest cover of the state would witness a steady increase of 8% from present 7% forest cover and by the year 2020 the state would achieve the target of 15% forest cover.He said that the state would soon ink MoU with Japan for this project after its final approval from Japan High Commission and expressed hope that work on this project would start very soon.
He further said that under this project focus would be on plantation of fast growing trees that grow into trees very fast. He said that Japan would provide technological back up for plantation of these species of trees.He said that Japan International Co-Operative Agency (JICA) has already been executing this kind of project in other parts of the country in the field of forestry and environment. Mr. Bhagat said that the Punjab Government is committed to achieve its target of increasing the forest cover of the state from 8 per cent to 15 per cent by 2020. He said the government has already launched the “Greener Punjab Mission”.