Strengthening the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between India and Bhutan, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today sent a gift of Chilgoza saplings to Bhutan. The consignment was flagged off from the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in Shimla.

After flagging off the vehicle, the Chief Minister said that this initiative symbolizes the friendship, harmony and brotherhood between India and Bhutan. He added that in the future, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department will also provide Chilgoza seeds worth Rs 5 lakh to Bhutan. Training will be imparted to officials of Bhutan’s Forest Department on raising Chilgoza saplings, for which a team from Bhutan will soon visit Himachal Pradesh.

The Chief Minister said that the state government will also involve local women’s self-help groups (Mahila Mandals) in Chilgoza-related activities and provide them with financial support. He informed that earlier also, 50 kilograms of Chilgoza seeds had been provided to Bhutan.

Chilgoza is a valuable species of the western Himalayas and is closely linked with environmental conservation, biodiversity and local livelihoods. The Chief Minister stated that the present state government is undertaking several initiatives for forest conservation and expansion of forest cover. As a result of government efforts, forest area in the state has increased by nearly 55 square kilometres.

He further said that during the current year, plantation is being carried out on about 9,000 hectares of forest land under various schemes and projects, of which 60 percent are fruit-bearing plants. The Chief Minister Forest Expansion Scheme is being implemented with the objective of greening barren hills, under which plantation has been carried out on about 600 hectares so far.

For forest protection and management, 2,019 Van Mitras have been appointed and are being trained in plantation, fire safety, resin tapping and other forestry-related works. The state government is continuously making efforts to enhance green cover with public participation and is implementing several schemes including the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana and the Green Adoption Scheme.

On the occasion, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, Vice Chairman of Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation Kehar Singh Khachi, MLAs Captain Ranjit Singh Rana and Malender Rajan, Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Haj Committee Dildar Ali Bhatti, Advocate General Anup Ratan, Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pant, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjay Sood and other senior officers were present.