Uttarakhand

• 13 Dec 2022

Incentive Amount to Villagers for Extinguishing Forest Fires in Uttarakhand

Why In News?

• On December 12, 2022, Uttarakhand Forest Fire and Disaster Management Chief Conservator of Forests Nishant Verma said that forest management committees are being formed in the state with the aim of promoting public participation to control forest fires. For this, it has been decided to give them incentives.

Key Points

• Nishant Verma said that in the first phase of giving incentives to the villagers to extinguish the forest fire, pine-dominated forest divisions are being taken into the scheme. This will also include the area of forest panchayats. Forest management committees are being formed for this.
• On an average, 2,000 to 2,200 forest fire incidents occur every year in the forests of the state. More than three thousand hectares of forest are burnt every year. So far in the year 2022, 2,186 incidents of forest fire have been reported. Of these, 3,425.05 hectares of forest area was damaged, compared to 2,780 forest fire incidents in 2021.
• He said that in the past years, there have been incidents of forest fire even during the winter season. To overcome this problem, forest management committees are being formed at the gram panchayat level for the first time. So far, 48 forest management committees have been formed in three forest divisions Almora, Tehri and Gopeshwar. Along with the villagers, sarpanches of village panchayats, forest panchayats and forest personnel are being included in the committee.
• It is known that there are a total of 11,300 forest panchayats in the state. They will be temporarily given the responsibility of protecting the surrounding forests from forest fire.
• Nishant Verma said that if these committees show readiness and extinguish the forest fire, then they will be given incentives. How much this amount will be, it is still being considered. Around Rs 15 crore is spent every year to control forest fires in the state.

Uttarakhand State (for Remission/Premature Release of Convicted Prisoners Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Courts) Permanent Policy, 2022

Why In News?

• On December 12, 2022, Additional Chief Secretary Home Radha Raturi issued notification of the Standing Policy, 2022 for remission/premature remission of conviction prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the State of Uttarakhand (courts).

Key Points

• Under the State of Uttarakhand (For Remission/Premature Remission of Sentences/ Premature Remission of Convicted Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by courts) Permanent Policy, 2022, women and men lodged in life imprisonment will be able to be released after equal punishment. For release, they will be judged on the basis of good conduct, nature of crime and age. They will be released on a personal bond of 50 thousand rupees.
• The release of detainees will be decided with the nature of the offence. If a prisoner is released by mistake, he can be sent to jail again. Prisoners suffering from more than 13 serious diseases will also be able to get release.
• Under this policy, life imprisonment will now attract a maximum sentence of 14 years. So far, there was a provision of 14 years for women and 16 years for men. But now such convicted women and male prisoners whose sentence of 14 years without parole and 16 years with parole will be able to be waived.
• Similarly, prisoners above 70 years of age without parole will be able to be released at 12 years and prisoners on parole at 14 years and above 80 years without parole and 12 years with parole.
• According to the policy, a committee will be formed under the chairmanship of principal secretary or secretary home to look into such matters. The committee will have principal secretary or secretary justice and law advisor, principal secretary or secretary home and additional secretary home (Prisons) as members, while inspector general of prisons will be member secretary.