Odisha CM urges Moily for NPV fund diversion

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today requested M Veerappa Moily, Union minister for Environment and Forest to accept a proposal of the state government to divert part of the Net Present Value (NPV) for peripheral development, that was turned down by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) earlier.

"The MoEF has declined to permit utilisation of a portion of funds collected as additional Net Present Value (NPV) for inclusive development of mineral bearing areas through tribal welfare activities. I would, therefore, request you to kindly intervene in the matter and approve the Detailed Project Report (DPR)," said Patnaik, in a letter addressed to Moily, who recently assumed charges of the ministry following exit of Jayanthi Natarajan.

The NPVs that are collected from miners and other users of forest land is deposited in a special fund dedicated for afforestation programme. The state government proposed that at least half of the fund collected from miners should be deposited in a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

Odisha had submitted a DPR to the central government in this regard last year in keeping with the recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court.