CM exhorts people's participation in forest conservation through 'Van Mitras'

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the 'Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana' from Hamirpur today. Terming it as a significant step towards environmental conservation and community participation in forest management, he said that the scheme not only aims to increase the green cover by planting fruit-bearing trees on barren and degraded forest areas but will also generate employment and income for local communities by ensuring participation of mahila and yuvak mandals besides self-help groups.

- DINESH AGARWAL

The Chief Minister handed over certificates in this respect to two Mahila Mandals from Nadaun, viz: Amlehad and Bhawdan, which will carry out the plantation activities on two hectares of forest land and ensure its maintenance for a period of five years. The Chief Minister also launched the 'Green Adoption Scheme'. In the initial phase, Ambuja Company would undertake plantation work on 25 hectares, while the Adani Foundation and UltraTech would adopt 10 hectares each. He handed over certificates to these organisations as a mark of official recognition. The scheme envisages encouraging private enterprises, corporate houses and non-governmental organisations as a part of their social re