Principal Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment. Dheeraj Gupta, today chaired J&K UT Foundation Day celebration, organized by the Forest department, at Environment Park Raika. Suresh Kumar Gupta, PCCF and Director Social Forestry Department; Sarvesh Rai, PCCF & Chief Wildlife Warden; Sanjay Kumar Sinha, Director SFRI; Vasu Yadav, Chairman J&K Pollution Control Committee; Sandeep Kujur, Director FPF; J. Frankoi, APCCF Jammu, other Regional Heads and senior officials along with representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions, school children participated in the event.
BDC Chairperson Bajalta, Rehmat Ali, also participated in the event. To mark the 5th Foundation Day of the UT, Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge was administered and ceremonial plantation drive was carried out by Dheeraj Gupta and participants. The event was organized to commemorate various achievements in Forestry and Wildlife sectors recorded during the past four years.
Dheeraj Gupta, while addressing the event, highlighted various policy initiatives of the government in ensuring transparency and accountability as well as welfare of the staff. He emphasized the tremendous scope for improving the working of Forestry and Wildlife sectors. He appreciated the progress achieved in terms of budgetary allocation, human resource optimization being carried out in the UT during the past four years.
Principal Secretary reiterated that welfare of the citizens shall be the focus of government for which employees should strive hard to enhance the productivity and output in executing various government schemes.Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu, urged upon the participants to strive hard for achieving excellence in delivery of UT governments' schemes and programs among the public.
Suresh Gupta, in his address, highlighted the Jan Bhagidari initiatives in the Social Forestry schemes where benefit sharing mechanism is being implemented and nearly Rs. 6.00 crore benefit has been shared with Village Panchayat Plantation Committees. It aims at improving the ecological security in rural areas along with delivering the economic benefits to local population at their door step, he added.During the event, various publications highlighting achievements of Forest, Wildlife and Social Forestry Departments were released by Dheeraj Gupta.
The publications included Hindi version of Social Forestry Rules, Jan Bhagidari Booklet, Amla pamphlet, compilation of Sacred Groves in J&K, Census Report on Snow leopard, booklet on Soil Conservation works. e-compendium regarding achievements of the Forest Department.Later, a Nature Trail Walk inside the Environmental Park was flagged off by the Principal Secretary and students from Higher Secondary School Bahu Fort participated in the excursion.