Himachal to propose ‘green budget’: Dhumal

Shimla, Sep 11 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh government would be proposing a ‘green budget’ in the next fiscal year, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here Tuesday.

“The ‘green budget’ would incorporate provisions for developing tools and methodologies for ‘green accounting’ in planning and budget processes,” Dhumal said at the signing of a pact between the state and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
TERI will open its centre here to help the state adopt measures on climate change.
The chief minister said the government would be carrying environment cost manifestations in the budget for the coming financial year by availing technical assistance under the World Bank project approved for the state.
Dhumal said the state had got the world’s largest carbon credit project funded by the World Bank to treat 4,000 hectares of land.
He underlined the need for the constitution of a trans-Himalayan development authority with a view to protect the interests of the Himalayan states keeping in view their different developmental requirements.
TERI director-general R.K. Pachauri appreciated the initiatives taken by the state government on environment which has made it a role model in preservation of environment at the international level.