Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department’s programme at Lok Seva Bhavan. During the meeting, the CM focussed on the prevention of illegal tree felling and providing labor-based employment to marginal communities.
The CM also ordered the officials to address human-animal conflict, which has resulted in 444 elephant deaths and 729 human casualties since 2019-20.
Majhi ordered boosting forest employee morale and increasing incentives for protection efforts.
The chief minister directed the officials to ensure tree survival in afforestation programs through regular monitoring.
He stressed filling vacant posts, with 1,677 forest guard positions and 316 posts nearing completion.
The meeting also discussed the “Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam” campaign, with 3.13 crore saplings registered on the “MeriLiFE” portal.
The government has targeted the planting of 4.5 million saplings by year-end.
The meeting also featured the plantation of 19 lakh palm trees in forest border areas to prevent lightning and plastic-free afforestation, fire fighting, and other initiatives.
In the meeting, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh R Khuntia, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Nikunj Bihari Dhal, Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Satyabrat Sahu, PCCF Debidutta Biswal and PCCF (Wildlife) Sushant Nanda were present.
