Haryana Minister orders release of Van Mitras' dues of by September 15

Haryana Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh has directed officers to ensure that the maintenance dues of Van Mitras for the financial years 2025-26 and 2026-27 are released by September 15 under all circumstances. He directed that clear and strict directions in this regard be issued to the District Forest Officers (DFOs), who also function as Drawing and Disbursing Officers. Rao Narbir Singh said arbitrary functioning by the DFOs would not be tolerated in any matter. The Van Mitras serve as an important link between the Forest Department and the public in the plantation drive. He said the Van Mitras should be allowed to undertake plantations not only on private land but also on the Forest Department land, so that the green cover in the state can be increased and the goal of 'Green Haryana' can be effectively realised. The Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister gave these directions while chairing a review meeting of departmental officers on Wednesday to discuss pending issues related to the demands of Van Mitras. Additional Chief Secretary, Sudhir Rajpal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr KC Meena, TP Singh and other senior officers were present at the meeting. During the meeting, it was informed that around 4 lakh saplings were planted by 635 Van Mitras during 2026-27. Of these, 2,14,992 saplings have been verified by forest guards and other officers after the details were uploaded on the portal. Rao Narbir Singh directed that the portal for the registration as Van Mitras be kept open until September 30, 2026. He also urged already registered Van Mitras to encourage as many people as possible in their respective areas to join the campaign. He also directed the officers to take initiatives to register women as Van Mitras through Self-Help Groups. He said on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan this year, women were encouraged to participate in the 'Ek Rakhi, Ek Ped' initiative, which received an enthusiastic response from women in large numbers. The meeting was also informed that around 5,300 trees had been identified across the state under the Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme. The government provides an annual pension of Rs. 1,000 to individuals who take care of these trees.