Dedicated to the auspicious occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th Birth Anniversary Celebrations, the Punjab government has set a deadline of September 30, 2019 to plant 550 saplings across all villages of state. Under this ambitious programme, 550 saplings each in 1913 villages have already been planted besides process for planting the same in another 4345 villages already underway.Disclosing this here, the Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot stated that while department of Forest had been entrusted with the responsibility of planting saplings under the NREGA Scheme, the maintenance and care of all these saplings would be the ensured by Rural Development & Panchayats department.Under the Punjab Maintenence Model, ‘Van Mittars’ would be identified and declared by Rural Development Department, Dharamsot said adding that they would be mandated to take care of the saplings. Two houses would be marked as Van Mittars who would be entrusted to take care of every 200 saplings, and each family would be given Rs. 1920 each as maintenance charge for these saplings.
Reiterating that preservation of these saplings would be ensured for next five years, Dharamsot said that this would entail total expenditure of Rs. 49,276 per annum, Dharamsot further added.Highlighting state’s concern to make Punjab clean and green, Dharamsot said that Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had launched ‘I-Haryali’ Mobile application to enable residents to acquire free saplings from nearest nursery. The application had been downloaded by 96277 persons till now and over 30,000 orders had been placed against which 72,885 saplings had been made available till now, the Minister added further.The primary aim of this programme was to provide cleaner environment to all across Punjab, the Minister said adding that the endeavour was also to make them aware of the value of sustainable environment. The government was duty bound to involve public in this momentous task so that proper care of these saplings could be ensured, Dharamsot said further.