Haryana forest minister Rao Narbir Singh on Tuesday issued directions to release pending maintenance dues of “van mitras” by September 15.
The pending dues pertain to financial years 2025-26 and 2026-27, an official spokesperson said, adding that the minister issued directions to the district forest officers (DFOs), who also function as drawing and disbursing officers.
The minister issued the directions while chairing a review meeting.
Stating that “arbitrary functioning” by DFOs would not be tolerated in any matter, Singh said that van mitras serve as an important link between the forest department and the public in the plantation drive. He said that the van mitras should be allowed to undertake plantations not only on private land but also on forest department land to realise the goal of green Haryana.
During the meeting, it was informed that around 4 lakh saplings were planted by 635 van mitras during 2026-27. Of these, 2,14,992 saplings have been verified by forest guards and other officers after the details were uploaded on the portal.
The spokesperson said that around 5,300 trees have been identified across the state under the Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme. The government provides an annual pension of ₹1,000 to individuals who take care of these trees.