Kolkata, Jul 13 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that 7.2 crore saplings will be planted in the state this year, and asked forest department officials to step up the tree plantation drive to compete with Uttar Pradesh.
During a review of the implementation of the week-long ‘Aranya Saptaha’ beginning Tuesday, Adhikari told officials to distribute the saplings through government camps (seva kendras) to be organised at 75 ‘Rath Yatra Melas’ across the state.
“Start distributing saplings from these camps. Encourage distribution of saplings of fruit trees, and coconut saplings in coastal regions where we witness more thunderstorms. We have decided to plant 7.2 crore saplings,” the CM said.
Referring to plantation targets announced elsewhere in the country, Adhikari said West Bengal should not lag behind.
“This morning, I saw on a news channel that Uttar Pradesh is planning to plant 26 crore saplings, and Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah ji will also plant 1.20 crore saplings in his Lok Sabha constituency (Gandhinagar in Gujarat). West Bengal is also a big state, and I think we can compete with UP in this sector,” he said.
The chief minister also directed the forest department secretary and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) commissioner to prepare a plan for distributing a substantial number of saplings in his Bhowanipore assembly constituency to encourage greater public participation in the campaign.
Later in a post on X, Adhikari appealed to people to take part in the plantation drive.
“I urge every citizen to observe ‘Aranya Saptaha’ and plant a tree in the name of their mother,” he said.
The week-long campaign will be inaugurated by Adhikari at the ‘Banabitan Biodiversity Park’ in Salt Lake on Tuesday morning in the presence of Forest and Environment Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon, Minister of State Dibakar Gharami and other dignitaries. PTI SCH RBT
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