Maharashtra government's plan of increasing the percentage of forest land cover will cost the citizens dear. The plan will levy carbon cess on motorists for the carbon dioxide exhaled and green cess on municipal corporations for using forest resources for drinking water. The Cabinet on Thursday sanctioned the forest policy that aims at increasing forest cover from 20.13 to 33 per cent in the next three years. The implementation of the policy would need Rs4,000 crore with an estimated Rs1,300 crore per year. With budgetary allocation of Rs300 crore per year, the shortfall of Rs1,000 crore will be covered from the motorists and the general public for the water they drink. Forest minister Babanrao Pachpute said his plans are to levy Rs100 per vehicle annually. "There are 1.25 crore vehicles in Maharashtra. The carbon dioxide they generate is huge in quantity and that can be compensated with oxygen which can be collaterally generated from the tree plantation we are planning. This is a very meagre price we are asking from the vehicle owners,' he said. Pachpute said that conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen costs $500 per tonne, while it costs $10 per tonne for the generation of the oxygen from trees. "This means our way of oxygen generation in much cheaper and I don't think there should be opposition to this. On the same lines, we will levy green cess on the municipal councils and municipal corporations for using the forest resources while providing drinking water,' he added. Additional municipal commissioner of BMC Anil Diggikar said, "I am not aware of the nitty-gritty of the policy, but the government has every right to levy such cess. In that case, the burden will be on the general public through their water usage bills.' The policy is line with the National Forest Policy announced in 1988. Of the total 307.71 lakh hectare of the geographical area of the state, only 20.13 per cent (61.94 lakh hectare) is under forest cover. Aiming to increase it up to 33 per cent means bringing additional 39.60 lakh hectares under the forest cover. The policy implementation will be the responsibility of the committee headed by the principal forest conservator which would act with the help of various government agencies such as Railways, urban local bodies, MIDC, agriculture and horticulture departments and private industries. g_surendra@dnaindia.net