Roll back decision to provide ‘paid saplings’, Punjab ex-minister asks govt

Hoshiarpur, July 1

Former Forest Minister Tikshan Sood has condemned the Forest Department’s decision to give saplings to people and private institutions by charging a hefty price of Rs 20 to 50 per sapling. Calling it “foolish and anti-environment”, Sood said that this is a “Tughlaq’s decree” due to which the government will have to face a lot of embarrassment. The government should immediately cancel this decision of the Forest Department, he said.

Sood said that during his tenure as the forest minister during the SAD-BJP government, a huge increase was recorded in the forest area with the cooperation of the general public and many religious and social organisations. Its main reason was that the forest area was increased by ensuring the participation of public and organizations in planting trees.

He claimed that during his tenure, orders were given to the nurseries of the Forest Department to prepare as many saplings as possible and distribute them free of cost among the people. Sood said that as a result of those efforts, greenery is visible today in streets, roads, religious places, schools, parks etc. across the state. He said that more than 84 per cent of the land in Punjab comes under agriculture and only 6 to 7 per cent of the land is available for trees and forests. Taking a dig at the AAP-led state government, he said that the government is completely unaware of the problems of Punjab and is “hell-bent on ruining the state”.