HP govt to plant 23 lakh saplings under integrated development project

Officials said Rs 3.75 crore has been allocated to meet the target of planting the trees.

The Himachal Pradesh government will be planting around 23 lakh saplings in an area of 3,181 hectare during the ongoing financial year under an integrated development project.

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Officials said Rs 3.75 crore has been allocated to meet the target of planting the trees. The forest, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, rural development and Panchayati Raj departments will work together under this project.

State forest minister Govind Singh Thakur on Wednesday said the main objective of the project is to establish a balanced environment and to increase income of farmers through agriculture, besides providing livelihood and employment opportunities at the panchayat level.

He has directed officials to constitute committees in all panchayats so that the benefits of this project can be extended to people.

Thakur said under clean development mechanism, the income of people of the state can be enhanced from carbon revenue through group plantation drive. He said so far, people have benefited by plantation of carbon revenue of more than Rs 2 crore.