CM says 9,000 hectares of forest land to be planted with trees
2
Shimla: The state govt this year aims to plant trees on around 9,000 hectares of forest land under different schemes, out of which 60% of the saplings would bear fruits.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu shared this information while inaugurating the 76th state-level Van-Mahotsav at the Kanlog area in Shimla on Thursday.
He also planted a deodar sapling during the event and launched the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna across all assembly constituencies.
He virtually interacted with ministers and MLAs participating in the programme, besides discussing forest conservation and afforestation measures.
The state govt is working to protect and enrich the rich biodiversity of the state, and these efforts would contribute to achieving the target of increasing forest cover by 30% by 2030, he added.
Sukhu stated that the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojna would not only promote forest development but also enhance public participation and strengthen the rural economy. Under this scheme, mahila mandals, yuvak mandals, self-help groups, and joint forest committees would plant and look after 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.
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The chief minister added that 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, he added. Sukhu stated that the forest department officers are being encouraged to dedicate more time to fieldwork related to forest expansion and conservation rather than office routines. He also handed over cheques of rupees one 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 have also been distributed under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project to the beneficiaries for livelihood.
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