The three-day Rajpur nature festival started on Saturday with the state forest minister Dinesh Aggarawal inaugurating it by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Several stalls displaying locally produced items have been put up. Children participated in painting competition. Moreover, the minister released three books.
Aggrawal said that Rajpur has its own importance and people use to walk upto Rajpur so to maintain this long tradition we have been organising Rajpur nature festival since 2014. Through this we are also promoting our local produce.
He further accepted that we are yet to provide market to local produces because we lack distribution system so we will have to take appropriate step on it. He disclosed that chief minister Harish Rawat has given permission to run Sunday market outside the Gandhi park so that farmers who produces traditional food grains will get market. With this locally produce would get recognition and local traders would also be benefitted. He asked the forest officials that we will have to keep alive our Mussoorie track route and instructed to develop this route for heritage walk as well.
In Malsi we have made zoo park and butter fly park in lachhiwala and it will promote eco-tourism as well. For the promotion of eco tourism eco tourism board has been constituted and to achive its objective we will have to work with full sincerity. We will have to develop to promote commercial activity in the state.
Currently several product of forest department available here. Nature has given us everything and to preserve and promote is accountability of forest department. AS we know that 70 percent area comes under forest cover and to take this ahead we will have to work along with forest department.
Principal Chief conservator of Forest (PCCF) Rajendra Kumar, Principal Forest conservator wild life DB Khati, MD Forest development corporation SDF lepcha, Additional secretary Forest Meenakshi Joshi, Princiapl forest conservator Garhwal Gambhir Singh, Divisional forest officer Dehradun PK Patro and others were present. “Forest Flora of Dehra Dun” launched at Rajpur Nature Fest.