SAS NAGAR (MOHALI) OCTOBER 7:Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today exhorted the people of Punjab and the Forests Department to chalk out a joint strategy to make tree plantation ‘a mass movement’ to save our environment from the onslaught of wide spread air pollution and make the state ‘clean & green’.
Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of Rs.38 crore Forest Complex over 2 acres of land here in Sector 68, Mr. Badal emphasized the need to bring awareness amongst the masses about the importance of trees in our daily life and we must strive hard to conserve our forests because a forestation at a large scale had resulted a imbalance in the eco-system. He asked the Forests Department to motive the people to plant trees in or in front of their houses both in urban and rural areas to cleanse the polluted environment due to heavy emission of deadly industrial gases. He also announced special prizes of Rs.2 lac and Rs. 5 lac for the best green towns and villages to be selected through a statewide competition organized by the forests department to encourage the people to grow trees on one hand to inculcate the aesthetic sense to nurture them with utmost care on the other.
The Chief Minister lamented that most of State’s area under forests cover had gone to Himachal Pradesh after reorganization of Punjab way back in 1966. He said now it was the high time to go for tree plantation on a large scale which was too the need of the hour to strike a perfect balance in ecology besides to protect the environment from global warming.
Speaking on the occasion Cooperation Minister Capt. Kanwaljit Singh appreciated the efforts of the State Forests Department to create a landmark in the history of forests with the setting up of this eco-friendly Complex. He pointed out that the new forest complex would be instrumental to encourage the masses to adopt the green building technology in order to popularize the concept of clean and green environment.
In his address Forests & Medical Minister Mr. Tikshan Sood also underlined the significance of forests in the present scenario and hoped that the new forest complex to be constructed on the principles of green philosophy would prove to be a milestone in propagating the concept of ‘Green Building Design’ for the preservation and protection of environment.
Earlier in his welcome address Financial Commissioner Forests Mr. R.C. Nayyar said that the unique concept and design of complex based on the green philosophy would be one of the ten buildings so far constructed in the country and probably second in the region.
Prominent among others who present on the occasion included MLA Morinda Ujjagar Singh Badali, Chairman, Punjab State Cooperative Bank Jasjit Singh Banni, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Mr. B.C.Bala, Chairman Punjab State Forests Development Corporation Mr. Satpal Saini besides Amrik Singh Mohali, Rajbir Singh Padiala both SAD leaders and other party leaders and workers of SAD-BJP.