Chandigarh- Haryana Environment and Forest Minister, Rao Narbir Singh has directed officials to ensure more effective implementation of the Van Mitra scheme so that plantation becomes a mass movement. He said that Van Mitras will now be able to plant saplings by digging pits not only on private land but also on forest department land.
The Minister gave these directions while chairing a review meeting of the Forest Department here today. Additional Chief Secretary Environment and Forest department, Anand Mohan Sharan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
Van Mitra to Receive Honorarium on Time
The Minister said that there should be no delay in disbursing the monthly honorarium of Rs 15,000 to Van Mitras and directed that it be released immediately. During the meeting, it was informed that under the Van Mitra Yojana, launched in 2024, as many as 70,000 youth have registered on the portal. They dug more than two lakh pits, out of which 2598 youth were given the status of 'Van Mitra' after planting saplings in 10 pits and completing geo tagging.
New System of Verification
The Minister directed that, in place of geo-tagging, the verification and monitoring of pits and plantations will now be carried out personally by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Conservator, and Forest Guard. This mechanism will ensure accurate evaluation of the work undertaken by Van Mitras and their honorarium can be released transparently through DBT.
Government’s Vision for a Green Haryana
The Haryana Government aims to transform the state into one of greenery and clean air in the coming years. With the spirit of the resolution ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, the government is actively involving youth, women and all sections of society in environmental protection efforts so that Haryana emerges as a green and healthy state for future generations.