Industry Odisha Bureau, March 31: The Odisha government has allocated a total fund of Rs 762.38 Crore under six schemes for carrying out plantation activities during the financial year 2026-27. This was informed by Forest Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia in the Assembly on Tuesday.
He said 3682.21 hectares Artificial Regeneration, 23979.50 hectares ANR (Assisted Natural Regeneration), 2059.45 Row Kilometer Avenue Plantation & 6.95 lakh seedlings Urban Tree Plantation are proposed to be planted under different plantation schemes during 2026-27, nearly 137.24 lakh seedlings are to be utilized. Besides, 550 lakh seedlings are to be distributed among the beneficiaries to plant in their own land.
There is budgetary provision of Rs.762.38 Crore has been allocated under different schemes for creation and maintenance of 3 years’ plantations (i.e. 1st, 2nd & 3rd year maintenance) during 2026- 27, Singkhuntia said.
The Minister informed that Rs 341.99 crore has been allocated for plantation under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), while Rs 189.95 crore has been earmarked under MGNREGS.
Similarly, Rs 90 crore would be spent for creating forest under Increasing Green Cover in the State (IGC) scheme and another same amount (Rs 90 Cr) will be spent under Green Mahanadi Mission (GMM) for plantation, he said.
Besides, Rs 32.24 crore and Rs 18.20 crore has been allocated for plantation under National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and National Mission for Green India (GIM), respectively, during 2026-27.
As per India State of Forest Report 2023, Odisha has 7224.42 sq km of very dense forest, 21065.55 sq km of moderately dense forest and 24143.59 sq km of open forest.
During 2025-26, 2924.78 ha AR, 23500.69 ha ANR with gap, 1771.50 RKM (Row Kilometer) Avenue Plantation & 6.70 lakh seedlings UTP Plantation have been taken up under different plantation schemes.
For this, 226.06 lakh seedlings have been utilized. Besides, 180.08 lakh seedlings have been distributed among the beneficiaries to plant in their own land, the Minister said.
An amount of Rs 406.89 crore has been utilized towards creation of New Forests & maintenance of previous year plantations (i.e. 1st, 2nd & 3rd Year maintenance) during 2025-26. No revenue has been received from degraded forests during the period, he said.
As per India State of Forest Report 2023, the extent of Open Forest (Degraded Forest) in Gajapati District is 1447.78 Sq. Km.
