Goa govt formulating Private Forest Policy: Minister

Goa government would soon introduce the Private Forest Policy, state Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar today said in the Assembly.
"Goa government is in the process of formulating Private Forest Policy which will be notified soon," Arlekar said on the last day of the Winter Session of the Assembly.
He, however, said the two committees which are formed to study the private forest cover are working at a slow pace.
"We will ask those committees either to complete their work expeditiously or we will have to review their formation," the minister said even as other legislators appealed the government not to increase the private forest cover as land is scarce in the coastal state.

Replying to a query, Arlekar said any further increase in forest cover is not in the interest of the state which already has 33 per cent forest.
"Declaring any more area as a forest would impact the development of the state," he said.