While speaking at a national seminar on 'Democratization of the Forest Sector, Good Governance and Sustainable Development' organized jointly by the Forest Sector Sustainable Management Suggestion Task Force constituted by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and the Nepal Rangers Association, Minister for Local Development Dev Gurung has called for giving the entire responsibility of forest management and use to the local people themselves.

Minister Gurung said that the government was ready to work for the implementation of the suggestions given by the task force. Stressing that the forest administration should be democratised for making the forestry sector democratic, Minister Gurung called on all to make the forest productive.

Member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Bhim Prasad Neupane said the problems in the forestry sector pointed out to by the task force should be incorporated into the policy decisions.

Convenor of the Suggestions Team Jamuna Krishna Tamrakar said that the views and opinions were collected in 36 districts as to how the forestry sector could be rendered democratic and good governance could be maintained.

Nine working papers on forest management and resource utilisation are to be discussed at the national seminar which will last for three days.

Members of the task force had pointed out to the different problems relating to the forestry sector raised in course of the on the spot study.

Source: Gorkhapatra