GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

ABSTRACT

Forest Department - A.P. Community Forest Management Project - Comprehensive Orders - Issued.

ENVIRONMENT FOREST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (FOR.III) DEPARTMENT
G.O.MS.No.13, Dated: 12 .2 .2002

O R D E R: -

Following the guidelines of the Government of India and in compliance with the provisions of National Forest Policy, 1988, the Government of Andhra Pradesh have issued orders in the reference 1st read above for improvement of degraded forests through the participation of local people by introduction of the Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme.

These Orders have been amended from time to time through GOs 5th and 7th read above
In the references 2nd, 3rd and 4th read above orders have been issued constituting State, District level and ITDA level committees for ensuring inter sectoral coordination for the programme. In the reference 8th read above orders issued in the reference 3rd cited were modified regarding sharing the usufruct arising out of forests managed under JFM. In the reference 6th, 9th and 11th read above orders have been issued granting incentives to VSS for their role in apprehending those involved in commission of forest offence cases. In the references 10th read above orders have been issued granting incentives to VSS for their role in collection of Beedi Leaves.

In the reference 12th read above, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of Andhra Pradesh has submitted proposals for refining the programme and implementing Community Forest Management as an advance over Joint Forest Management.

In the light of all the above G.Os and the proposal of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Andhra Pradesh, it has been decided to modify the orders issued on the subject and to implement Community Forest Management in the State of Andhra Pradesh as an advance over Joint Forest Management.

The Government, after careful consideration and in modification of all the earlier orders issued on the subject hereby issue the following revised and comprehensive orders for implementing the Community Forest Management in the State of Andhra Pradesh with immediate effect.

Accordingly Government hereby direct that the local village community be constituted into a "Vana Samrakshana Samithi" (Samithi for short) and the Samithies already constituted to carry out the forest programmes jointly with the Forest Department as per the rules annexed to this order

The salient features and the rules applicable under the scheme are detailed in the Annexure I and II to this order.

ANNEXURE - I
Transparency in Working:
Duties and Responsibilities of Vana Samrakshana Samithi:
Constitution of Managing Committee:
Duties and Responsibilities of the V.S.S. Chairperson and Vice Chairperson
Duties and responsibilities of Managing Committee:
Constitution and Responsibilities of the Advisory Council at the V.S.S. level
Constitution and Responsibilities of the State Level Forest Committee
Duties and Responsibilities of Forest Department
Role of NGOs, NGIs, other line agencies
Rights and Privileges of the Vana Samrakshana Samithi:
Micro-planning and Annual Planning
Transparency in Working:

II. Duties and Responsibilities of Vana Samrakshana Samithi:
The members of Vana Samrakshana Samithi, individually and collectively shall be responsible to:
a) Ensure protection of forest and assist the Forest Department in protecting the adjoining forests whenever such assistance is sought for by the department.
b) Make other villagers aware of the importance of forests.
c) Prepare micro-plans and annual plans in accordance with the corresponding working plan (as outlined below).
d) Manage forests in accordance with the approved micro-plan / annual plan.
e) Apprehend offenders of forest law and hand them over to the concerned authorities to take action under the provisions of the relevant Forest Acts and Rules.
f) For minor offences the V.S.S. can collect advance Compounding Fees not exceeding Rs. 100/- (rupees one hundred only). The amount so collected shall be remitted by the V.S.S. to the Joint Account (VSS account). Details of such remittances shall be reported to the Forest Beat Officer concerned and recorded in the V.S.S. book of accounts. The concerned Forest Officer authorized under the relevant Forest Acts and Rules will book the offence by issuing the P.O.R. and take follow up action as per the departmental procedures. Upon completion of departmental procedure, the V.S.S. will retain 50% of the compounding fees and return the balance 50% to the Forest Beat Officer for remitting to the Government.

V. Duties and responsibilities of Managing Committee:
a) The Managing Committee shall be responsible to manage and implement all the decisions of the V.S.S.
c) The Managing Committee in consultation with the General Body shall evolve methodology on all issues relating to membership, conflict resolution, encroachments, customary rights, and benefit sharing.

VI. Constitution and Responsibilities of the Advisory Council at the V.S.S. level
a) For each V.S.S. there shall be an Advisory Council comprising of the concerned Forest Section Officer, Forest Beat Officer or Forest Assistant Beat Officer, the Panchayat Sarpanch, representative of the Village Tribal Development Agency in scheduled areas (to be nominated by the ITDA), the Village Administrative Officer, the NGO actively involved in assisting the V.S.S., and Village School Headmaster/Headmistress.
b) The Panchayat Sarpanch shall chair the advisory council meetings. If for any reason he / she is unable to attend the meeting the Forest Section Officer shall preside over.

IX. Duties and Responsibilities of Forest Department
f) The Forest Department will impart trainings to V.S.S. members on aspects of forest management including but not limited to management planning, use of Global Positioning System, map interpretation, silviculture, nursery raising, grafting of high yielding varieties, etc.
g) To reduce the problem of the VSS chairperson approaching the D.F.O. and forest range officer frequently for N.T.F.P. permits, the D.F.O. may sanction sufficient number of permits for NTFP in advance and keep with the concerned Forest Section Officer

X. Role of NGOs., NGIs, other line agencies.
a) Associated NGOs, NGIs, and other competent authorities will facilitate the functioning of the V.S.S. and impart training to V.S.S. on marketing and value addition of the forest produce, accounting procedures, Micro-credit, conflict resolution etc.

XI. Rights and Privileges of the Vana Samrakshana Samithi:
1. Vana Samrakshana Samithi shall be entitled to the following forest produce obtained from forests managed by them;
a) All Non-timber Forest Produce.
b) 100% of the incremental volume of timber and bamboo harvested from the forest (in accordance with the agreed micro-plan or annual plan), as measured from a baseline established at the time of VSS formation (or in absence of a baseline as estimated and agreed by a majority of VSS members).

The same shall be passed on to the Vana Samrakshana Samithi as prescribed below:
i) Domestic requirement of the forest products will be set apart and distributed among all the V.S.S. members as per the norms evolved by the Managing Committee. The surplus quantity may be disposed as decided by the managing committee.
ii) Any expenditure incurred by the Government on the harvesting and disposal shall be reimbursed to the Government.
iii) Expenditure necessary to sustain the productivity of the forests as per the micro-plan shall be deposited in the V.S.S. joint account. This amount shall not be less than 50% of the net income.

2. For offence cases handed over by the Vana Samrakshana Samithi to the forest department, the V.S.S. shall be entitled to a 50% share of Compounding fees as prescribed below;
a) The forest produce seized shall not be from the V.S.S. area.
b) No V.S.S. member should be involved in the forest offence.
c) The advance compounding fees collected if any shall be deposited into the joint account (VSS Account) till such time the competent authority issues compounding orders. This amount shall not be utilized for any purpose.
d) It shall be at the discretion of the compounding authority to compound the offence as provided under the A.P. Compounding and Prosecution rules.
e) The V.S.S. shall not be paid any amount unless Compounding Fees are collected.
f) If the competent authority does not compound the case, V.S.S. will be sanctioned 50% of the value of the produce as incentive. The value of the produce for this purpose will be taken as the same as the value of the produce recorded in the offence case. This incentive amount shall be paid only after the completion of confiscation proceedings by the competent officer.
g) The share of the V.S.S. shall be paid from the compounding fees collected and the balance shall be remitted to the Government by the forest department.

3. The V.S.S. shall be entitled to a 50% share of the beedi leaf net revenue arising out of the beedi leaf produced in the V.S.S. area. This 50% share of the net revenue shall be deposited in the V.S.S. account and utilized for development works as prescribed in the micro-plan.