The establishment of a commercial association in Palampur is significant in the Indian context, wherein most of the natural resource services for urban population are affected greatly by the action or inaction of their rural counterparts. Initially, many villagers were unfamiliar with the PES model and suspected payment for watershed services meant sale of forest and loss of community right over the forest. The first-ever payment for ecosystem services (PES) agreement in India between the Village Forest Development Society (VFDS) and the PMC has made this possible. Under the PWGI, PMC and VFDS, formed primarily from the Mahila Mandal, entered into an agreement on October 16, 2010. As per this 20-year agreement, PMC will pay Rs 10,000 annually1 to VFDS as PES for the protection and management of Bheerni forest. Apart from the PMC, FD and VFDS, other stakeholders in the PWGI were the Irrigation and Public Health Department (IPH), Bandla Gram Panchayat and GIZ. The president of the VFDS, Anu Devi, narrates that members of the Mahila Mandal also had to tolerate heated arguments from the village men. All members except the ward member are, interestingly, women. It was registered on October 1, 2010, under the Himachal Pradesh Societies Act 2006. Its executive committee comprises 11 members elected from the three villages (four from Odi, three each from Bohal and Mandai, and one ward member of the Gram Panchayat). | #https://palampurpanorama.com ↗ # palampur # palampurpanorama # hotels in palampur