Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu 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.

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 responsibility to adopt barren forest land and undertake afforestation work. 

This initiative not only contributes to environmental protection but also provides companies with an opportunity to fulfil their corporate social responsibility, said the Chief Minister. During the event, the Chief Minister inspected the passing-out parade of the newly appointed van mitras and interacted with them. 

He said that the Forest department had been facing a shortage of field staff, which posed challenges to forest protection. To address this, appointments of van mitras have been made based on merit, with many young women taking the lead in securing these roles. 

He assured them that the government was committed to framing future policies that safeguard their careers and recognise them as true guardians of the forests. He said that the state government was focusing on women empowerment and the reservation for women in police recruitment has been increased to 30 percent and in Lahaul-Spiti, all key administrative officers, including the Deputy Commissioner were women with decision-making authority.

Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh, known as Dev Bhoomi (Land of the Gods), was not only a centre of faith and culture but also abundantly blessed by nature. The state’s forest wealth plays a vital role in environmental conservation and significantly contributes to the economy and tourism. 

He said that the government began working towards making Himachal a Green State soon after assuming office. The Forest department has been actively implementing various initiatives to support this vision.

He said that the Van Mitra Yojana was one of the department’s most successful endeavours. The scheme aims to create employment for youth and deliver forest department benefits to the grassroots level besides promoting public awareness about forest conservation. 

He urged van mitras not to limit their role to forest protection alone but also to engage with rural communities to spread awareness about the importance of forests. He emphasised the need to prevent illegal logging, remain vigilant against forest fires and contribute actively to plantation drives and forest development initiatives by fostering public participation.

Sh. Sukhu reminded the van mitras that the oath they had taken should not be treated as a mere formality but as a solemn commitment that would represent their dedication, reverence and responsibility towards forest conservation. 

He expressed confidence that this initiative would become a milestone in the preservation and enrichment of Himachal’s green heritage and environmental pride. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also announced the opening of three new wellness centres under the Municipal Corporation of Hamirpur. 

He released a souvenir titled “Samvaad” dedicated to van mitras and launched a book titled “The Mountainous Wilderness of Spiti.” A new mobile application was also launched to facilitate attendance tracking of Van Mitras.

The Chief Minister honoured Palampur Block Officer Rakesh Kumar and his team, as well as Chamba Conservator Abhilash Damodar and his team, for their outstanding work.  Additional Chief Secretary (Forests), K.K. Pant welcomed the Chief Minister and provided insights into the department’s various schemes and extended his best wishes to the newly appointed van mitras. 

Earlier, PCCF (HoFF) Sameer Rastogi welcomed the Chief Minister and provided detailed information about the training being imparted to the Van Mitras. MLA Captain Ranjit Singh Rana, Chief Minister’s Political Advisor Sunil Sharma, Chairman of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chairman of Kangra Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ram Chander Pathania, Chairman of the HP Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation Mohan Lal, APMC Chairman Ajay Sharma, former MLA Manjeet Singh Dogra, Congress leaders Dr. Pushpinder Verma, Suman Bharti, Subhash Dhatwalia, Deputy Commissioner Amarjeet Singh, SP Bhagat Singh and other dignitaries wree present on the occasion.