Massive plantation drive in vacant govt lands proposed

Eluru: Massive plantation of fruit bearing trees on vacant government lands would be taken up under 'Indiramma Pachatoranam' in the State, disclosed Chief Secretary PK Mahanti on Tuesday. Addressing the District Collectors through a video conference, he asked them to identify beneficiaries among SCs, STs and other poor farmers under the scheme. The scheme would be integrated with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), he said. Plantation on either side of R&B and Panchayat Raj roads, tank and river bunds, vacant lands belonging to Irrigation Department, educational institutions, lands distributed under Forest Rights Act would be taken up in the drive, he said. Beneficiaries would be selected by the Gram Sabhas. Principal Secretary of Rural Development said that each beneficiary would be given 200 plants and Rs 15 for maintenance of each plant for month, amounting to Rs. 3000 per month, he said. Maintenance would be given for live plants alone. Beneficiaries would also be given plantation patta. Three District Collectors who showed good results in the scheme would be chosen for awards on Republic Day. West Godavari District Collector Dr Vani Mohan said that they had taken up plantation drive last year and one lakh samples were planted in Indiramma colonies by distributing three plants to each house.

Over 10 lakh samples of all varieties of plants, including fruit bearing plants, were planted in the district last year. She has promised steps to implement 'Indiramma Pachatoranam' in right earnest. District Joint Collector Dr T Baburao Naidu, DWAMA Project Director Ramachandra Reddy, ITDA project officer Suryanarayana, SEs of Panchayat Raj, R &B and Irrigation among others participated in the conference.