Ranchi, November 16: The Jharkhand government might ask the Centre to allow it to pay double the compensation amount in exchange of forest land to complete major irrigation projects, including the one pending for the past 40 years, officials said.
As per norms, if a state government wants to acquire some forest land for a project, it has to provide an equal area of land for afforestation.
“We will ask the Revenue department to take up a survey and identify government land fit for afforestation in exchange of forest land,” Chief Secretary A K Singh told reporters here.
However, in the event of non-availability of such land to be given for afforestation, the state government, under a rule, would urge the Centre to allow it pay double the amount for acquiring forest land to complete the major irrigation projects, he said.
–Agencies