223 GPs asked to plant 500 saplings each

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has asked 223 gram panchayats to plant at least 500 saplings in their jurisdiction during this rainy season.

This comes after an instruction to the zilla panchayat by district in-charge Secretary V. Ponnuraj through a video conference on June 8.

Chief Executive Officer of the panchayat Kumara told The Hindu that the gram panchayats have been asked to consult some farmers in their jurisdiction and assess which type of saplings they are interested in to plant in their farms. The panchayats in association with the Social Forestry Department should arrange saplings to such farmers. When genuinely interested farmers are given saplings, they take care of them after planting them. With this, saplings planted are maintained. Hence, the panchayats should assess the demand.

In addition, the gram panchayats can plant saplings in government land available in their jurisdiction.

Planting can be taken up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Scheme or under the programme of Social Forestry Department.

“If all the panchayats planted 500 saplings each, the district will have 1.11 lakh saplings planted. Along with planting saplings, focus should be on their maintenance,” he said.

Mr. Kumara said that the panchayats have been asked to submit to the zilla panchayat the additional action plan with funds required for it.