Major Push To Make Punjab Clean, Green And Pollution Free
CM Gives Nod For Planting 40 Lakh New Saplings In The State During Current Fiscal
5 Dariya News
Chandigarh 16-Jul-2015
As a part of making the state clean, green and pollution free under the ongoing Greening Mission, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal gave nod to provide free saplings for planting 40 lakh plants of various species during the current fiscal in the all the government institutions and villages across the state. Presiding over a high level meeting of Governing council of the Greening Punjab Mission here at Punjab Bhawan this morning, the Chief Minister asked the officers of the forest department to carefully the choose the plants as per the topography of the different regions of the state to ensure the longevity of the plants. He said that officers were required to play a proactive role for transforming this campaign into a mass movement by ensuring the proper upkeep of the plants.
Badal pointed out that the officers must ensure the strict maintenance of these plants after they were planted at the respective place. He also gave nod for sending the officers of the forest department abroad to undertake further studies for the preservation of plants in scientific manner.During the meeting the Chief Minister also approved projects worth Rs 16 crore regarding number of plants to be raised in departmental nurseries, plantation on different government institutional lands by department, five new projects for improving urban forestry and imparting education to the citizens by creating pockets of forest near Ropar, Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana and Bathinda, establishment of common facility centre in Talwara for increased value addition of local products, bio-drainage plantations for water logged areas of southern Punjab and Research works in PUA Ludhiana, FRI Dehradun and IPRITI Banglore. The Chief Minister also gave concurrence for the Annual Plan Outlay for 2015-16 under CAMPA to the tune of Rs 67.95 crore. These key attributes included Bio diversity Conservation and Management which included development of sanctuaries, zoological parks and deer safari, special projects including development of Bir Kullemajra, Bir Ashwan, Bir Mehes, Rampura Phul, Rakh Bahru, Hargobindpur, Malwa project and others, Forest Protection and Fire control by creation of fire lines and other related measures, silviculture operations, pruning and others besides undergoing new plantation of forests in 2495 hectares of land and maintenance of 7033 hectares.
The Chief Minister was apprised in the meeting that the work on construction of state Forrest Institute at Ladhowal near Ludhiana, in collaboration with Forest Research Institute (FRI) Dehradun, was going on in full swing and this project coming up at a cost of Rs 23.29 crore would be completed by November this year. This institute would focus on research related to agro forestry promotion in the state. Likewise, a Clonal Eucalyptus Nursery was being set up at Ludhiana with the collaboration of FRI Dehradun which would be the biggest of its kind in the north India and would a capacity of provide 50 lakh clonal Eucalyptus seedlings to the farmers. In the same manner a herbal cum medicinal plants nursery has been set up on 25 acre area in Talwara region which would serve as a model for replication in other areas of Kandi region in the future. Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Principal Secretary Finance Mr. DP Reddy, Secretary Rural Development and Panchayats Mr. A Venuprasad, Special Principal Secretaries to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Dr. S Karuna Raju, Secretary Expenditure Mr. Jaspal Singh, Chief Forest Conservator Dr. Kuldeep Kumar and Vice Chancellor PAU Dr. BS Dhillon.