Himachal Pradesh Unveils Van Sanvardhan Yojana to Boost Green Cover and Employment

In an effort to bolster both environmental sustainability and community employment, Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the Rajiv Gandhi Van Sanvardhan Yojana in Shimla. The afforestation program targets enhancing the state's green cover with active participation from local youth clubs and women's groups.

The scheme, inaugurated in Shimla's Kallog area, will see various community groups plant and maintain trees with financial backing from the government. These groups will receive Rs 1.2 lakh for afforesting each hectare of land, with further incentives based on sapling survival rates, fostering a sustained commitment over five years.

Both Chief Minister Sukhu and Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan emphasized the initiative's dual goal: expanding forest cover and securing steady income for participants. Mayor Chauhan noted the municipal corporation's significant contribution, planting hundreds of thousands of trees in partnership with social organizations. The state calls for special grants to support these large-scale environmental efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)