HYDERABAD: The state government has decided to set up as many as 1,000 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in Telangana.

At a review meeting here Friday, forest minister Jogu Ramanna directed the officials to constitute the committees by the end of December. He also wanted the officials to constitute a separate biodiversity board for Telangana by dividing the existing one.

Ramanna wanted the officials to focus on the preservation of flora and fauna in all villages of Telangana. While the committee will be headed by the village sarpanch, two women and SC/ST persons will be its members. The minister also directed officials to maintain a biodiversity register with details of all plants, animals and biodiversity related issues.

As part of the BMC, the officials were asked to identify historic places in Telangana and take steps to preserve them. Corporate institutions, as a part of their corporate social responsibility, should plant more saplings, Ramanna said.