Decks cleared for day-boarding school in Nadaun

Hamirpur, August 23

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has given its approval for change in land use, besides forest clearance, for the construction of the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools (RGDBS) in the district.

Notably, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had proposed to establish one such school in each Assembly constituency of the state. The CM had said 10 schools would be established in the state in the first phase.

As per the letter issued by the Ministry of EFCC on August 20, the government had approved the diversion of 2.8402 hectare of forest land in favour of Department of Education for the construction of the RGDBS near Amlehar village in Nadaun constituency.

The ministry had further directed to carry out plantation in the degraded forest area of 3.7 hectare in Dharsidh forest of Loharli block of Bijhari range and 2 hectare in Amlehar forest block of Nadaun forest range.

The ministry had directed the Forest Department to ensure Compensatory Afforestation (CA) in and around the proposed and approved area. It had also advised the Education Department against violating the conditions of the approval. The number of trees to be felled should not in any way exceed the number indicated in the proposal and no harm shall be done to the wildlife during felling of trees, it had added.

The ministry had suggested Nodal Officer of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) would ensure that the funds under State CAMPA would be released to the Divisional Forest Officer at Hamirpur as per approved CA scheme.

Meanwhile, the approval from the Ministry of Environment had brought cheer to people in the district. Summy Soni, president of Nagar Parishad, Nadaun, said the establishment of the RGDBS would be another milestone in the development of Nadaun.