The State will organise a campaign to celebrate Uttarakhand’s traditional festival of Hariyali (Harela) from July 10 to 18 for which it will also be linked with the Mera Vriksh Mera Dhan Yojana. Chairing a meet in the secretariat on Monday, chief minister Harish Rawat told the DMs to make elaborate arrangements for this campaign, stressing on the importance of public participation for the success of any scheme. Hariyali competitions will be organized in every village as part of the campaign, he said.Rawat said, “linking our traditional festival Harela with the Mera Vriksh Mera Dhan (MVMD) will connect the people sentimentally with the campaign.
The DMs should start preparations for this by means like holding meets in villages to inform the public. In each district, the minister in charge, parliamentary secretary in charge and secretary in charge of tree plantation will plant saplings in one village of each district. Similarly, the DM, CDO, DFO, SDM, CMO, BDO and VDO will also plant trees in a village in the district. Tree plantation campaign will be undertaken in each Gram Sabha under MVMD scheme with one government officer being deputed to each Gram Panchayat for this. Those who have planted trees under a general bond will be rewarded. Such trees will include fodder species, Malta, Mahuwa, walnut, Pangal and gooseberry with the responsibility of protecting the tree for three years resting on the planter.
The planter will be paid Rs 300 per tree with a bonus on every 100 trees if the trees are found secure three years after plantation. Planters of walnut, Mahuwa and Chyuda trees will be paid Rs400 bonus per tree while the department concerned will provide the saplings free of cost,” he said.Rawat informed that on July 17 after Harela festival, a competition will beheld in each village and one ‘Hariyala’ woman will be selected from each village to receive a cash prize of Rs500 next year on the occasion of Harela. Such women will also be the State’s green ambassadors, added the CM.The CM’s industrial advisor Ranjit Rawat, chief secretary N Ravi Shankar, additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, PCCF Dr Shrikant Chandola and other officials were also present in the meeting.