The Punjab Government has decided to launch a massive sapling plantation drive over the vacant land across the national and state highways in the state. A decision to this effect was taken by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a high level meeting of the senior officers of Forest and Irrigation departments here today at his residence. Disclosing this a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's office said that appreciating the concerted efforts of the forest department for achieving the India’s first-state status for Punjab by increasing 100 square kilometer of forest area during year 2010-11, Mr. Badal directed the forest department to identify vacant and shrub covered land across the national and state highways for further aforestation. He also directed that keeping in view the developments and needs for the next 20 years, long stretches of same variety trees must be planted in a planned manner over both sides of these highways. Expressing concern over the issue to remove the trees of the forest department planted earlier over the banks of drains & canals, which presently causing breaches and hindered the cleaning operation of cannals and drains, Mr. Badal asked the Financial Commissioner Forest. DS Bains and Principal Secretary Irrigation KBS Sidhu to resolve the issue amicably under the legal opinion for enabling the Irrigation department to undertaking its ongoing clean operations smoothly in a time bound manner i.e. well before the ensuing monsoon season. Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Financial Commissioner Forests DS Bains, Principal Secretary Irrigation KBS Sidhu, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Gaggandip Singh Brar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests HS Gujral, Chief Engineer Irrigation Amarjit Singh Dullt, Chief Engineer Drainage Vinod Chaudhary and Conservator of Forests Ferozepur Saurabh Gupta.