Van Mitra’ scheme launched by Haryana government to encourage participation in tree plantation.
On February 15, ‘Van Mitra’ scheme and its portal launched by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to encourage community participation in tree plantation activities in non-forest areas.
With an annual income of less than Rs 1.80 lakh, members of families can register to become ‘Van Mitra’.
The scheme’s objective is to directly involve the local public in increasing the forest areas across the state, ensuring an increase in the survival rate of afforestation and promoting plantations in non-forest areas.
Each Van Mitra will receive incentives based on plant maintenance and can plant a maximum of 1,000 saplings.
Anyone between the age group of 18 to 60 years can become a Van Mitra.
In the first phase of the scheme, 7500 Van Mitras will be selected through the portal. A Van Mitra can select non-forest land for tree plantation in his village, town, or city.
If the planted tree grows on Van Mitra’s own land, they will be considered the owner of the tree.
In the first year, Van Mitras will be registered and trained and they will be made to plant trees under the scheme.
In the first year, Van Mitras will get Rs 20 for each pit dug on geo-tagging and uploading the photo of the pit on the mobile app.
After geo-tagging, Van Mitras will get Rs 30 for each planted sapling.
They will get Rs 10 per live sapling for the maintenance and protection of the planted trees.
In the second year, Van Mitras will get Rs 8 per live plant every month.
In the third year, they will get Rs 5 per live plant every month and in the fourth year, they will get Rs 3 per live plant.
Under the scheme, if Van Mitra does not want to continue the work, the forest department will take possession of the trees.
