Pune: Rs 5 Crore Fund Approved For Taljai Hill To Make It A Tourist Destination

Mrunal Jadhav

Pune, March 19, 2021: Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar has sanctioned Rs 55 crore for forest development and social forestry in the Pune district under which Taljai hill will be developed. The state forest department plans to take the necessary steps to solve Taljai hill’s problem and set it as a tourist destination near Pune city. Moreover, the government will also carry out forest development works in the coming financial year (2021-22).

Minister of State for Forests Dattatreya Bharne said on Thursday that government would soon start the sanctioned works. Bharane also clarified that in the current financial year (2020-21), the State Forest Department and District Planning Committee has approved funds for various schemes on social forestry and wildlife.

Bharne said, “Through this fund, the objective of planting trees on barren forest land, increasing forest cover in the state under the joint forest management program,  and conservation of wildlife has been set. Besides this, forest roads, bridges, new forest roads will be repaired and constructed.

A total of Rs 40.70 crores have been sanctioned for the schemes such as the maintenance and special repair of existing habitats in the forest department, rural area development, tribal development program.  A fund of Rs 6.48 crore has been sanctioned for developing the Kadbanwadi tourism area in Indapur taluka.

The number of people coming for daily exercise and hiking on Taljai hill is increasing day by day. Citizens of Katraj, Sahakarnagar, Padmavati, Dhankawadi, Balajinagar areas are always busy as Taljai hill is just 5 minutes away. There is also a need for the protection and conservation of wildlife. Crimes like drunkenness and theft, assault have increased in the Taljai hill area, and measures need to be taken to curb it.

Five crore fund for Taljai tourism sector
Meanwhile, the state forest department will develop the Taljai tourism area near Pune city. The Forest Department has sanctioned a fund of Rs 5 crore for this. Minister of State for Forests Dattatreya Bharane said that the Taljai tourism area’s development work would be undertaken soon through this fund.

The following Construction will be done under the plan

-Construction of new nurseries in forest areas under the tourism development program
-strengthening of nurseries
– Construction of new roads for access to nurseries,
– strengthening of existing roads, carrying out forest soil and water
-conservation works; prevention of soil erosion
-Construction of stocks, preparation of central seedlings, etc.