PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The ruling BJP and the organisations affiliated to it are all set to plant over six lakh saplings on the occasion of the folk festival Harela under the ongoing campaign christened as ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’. Starting on Thursday, this month-long campaign will see at least 50 saplings planted in each booth across the state by ministers, MPs, MLAs and other public representatives as well as party functionaries. For the successful conduct of the programmes, the BJP has formed teams from the state to the divisional levels and assigned them responsibilities.
Informing this, the state general secretary of the party, Kundan Parihar said that this tree plantation campaign will begin on July 16 and continue until August 15. “The party will celebrate Harela, the festival of environmental protection and promotion, on a massive scale this year,” he added.
He further said that a minimum of 50 trees will be planted at each booth in the state within the next one month. “To ensure the success of this massive campaign, the party has formed special committees at the district and division levels. These committees will achieve the goal of environmental protection with public support through various programmes at all 11,729 booths in the state,” he stated.
It is learnt from the party sources that on the direction of the state BJP president, Mahendra Bhatt, a team has been formed under the coordination of the state vice-president, Rajendra Bisht to make the Harela drive a success. The presidents of the party’s women, farmer and youth wings have been assigned the responsibility as the state co-conveners.
In his message, Bhatt appealed to all workers, office bearers and the people to plant trees in their individual and collective capacities. He also said that while environmental protection and conservation are an important part of Indian culture, Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has been serving nature for generations through Harela.
Parihar further said that to streamline the tree plantation, locations have been selected and pits dug. “Members of Parliament will organise at least 10 tree-planting events in their constituencies, while MLAs, district Panchayat presidents, mayors, municipal councils, Panchayat presidents and block heads will organise at least 15 tree-planting events in their respective areas. After planting, specific workers will be designated to protect and care for each sapling,” he added.
