Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday inaugurated the 76th State-Level Van Mahotsav at the Kanlog area in Shimla. He also planted a deodar sapling during the event.
The Chief Minister launched the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna across all Assembly constituencies and virtually interacted with ministers and MLAs participating in the programme. He discussed forest conservation and afforestation measures in detail.
Addressing the gathering, he said that Van Mahotsav highlighted the importance of forests, often called the Earth’s lifeline. This year, around 9,000 hectares of forest land will be planted with trees under different schemes, with 60 per cent of these saplings being fruit-bearing species.
The state government is working to protect and enrich rich biodiversity of the state. These efforts aim to achieve the target of increasing forest cover to 30 per cent by 2030.
The Chief Minister said the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna would not only promote forest development but also enhance public participation and strengthen the rural economy. Under the scheme, mahila mandals, yuvak mandals, self-help groups, and joint forest committees would plant and care for saplings on one to five hectares of designated forest land for five years. A budget provision of Rs 100 crore has been made for this purpose.
This year, saplings are being planted across 1,000 to 1,500 hectares of forest land at a cost of Rs 20 crore. An additional Rs 1.2 lakh per hectare is being provided for sapling maintenance, the Chief Minister said.
He added that the state government was focusing on financial discipline under Vyavastha Parivartan and introduced various reforms in the functioning of the Forest Department. Officers are being encouraged to dedicate more time to fieldwork related to forest expansion and conservation rather than routine office routines.
The Chief Minister further said the government was implementing schemes that provide rural communities with self-employment opportunities near their homes, thereby strengthening their livelihoods. He noted that the state’s initiatives in natural farming were also being recognised and appreciated nationally.
He also gave cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to different mahila mandals for tree plantation under the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna. Apart from this, cheques of Rs 50,000 each had also been distributed under the JICA project to beneficiaries for livelihood support.
Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjay Sood gave detailed information on various forest development activities. MLAs Harish Janartha and Suresh Kumar, Mayor Surinder Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor for Innovation, IT and Governance Gokul Butail, Advocate General Anup Kumar Rattan, local councillor Alok Singh Pathania and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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