FOR the first time, apportionment of central tax revenues between the 29 states will be based upon how much forest they have maintained. This new dispensation provides an annual forest finance incentive of about Rs 55,000 crore ($ 9 billion) for improving and enhancing tree cover in India — a giant leap for a country which has one in every six persons on the planet, but only one tree in every 60. Such spending on forest conservation is higher than any other country in the world. Read more