The Uttarakhand Chief Minister today launched a plantation drive to mark the beginning of the traditional sowing festival of 'Harela' across the state by planting a sapling at his official residence.
"Our cultural traditions are closely linked with nature. By linking up the state government's Mera Ped Mera Dhan scheme with the festival, we have only carried forward a centuries-old tradition," Harish Rawat said after planting a sapling to mark the beginning of the nine-day campaign titled "Aao Manayein Hariyala" (Come let's celebrate Hariyala).
"There is also an economic side to the festival apart from its cultural aspect. We are encouraging plantation of fruit and fodder bearing trees during the festival which can be commercially highly beneficial for the population living in the hills," he said.
The ruling Congress hailed Chief Minister Harish Rawat's decision to celebrate the traditional festival in the form of the tree plantation drive across the state saying linking the festival with environment conservation will benefit the state in many ways.
"We welcome the Chief Minister's decision to celebrate the festival on this scale and linking it with environment conservation. The state is all set to reap numerous benefits from this move," Pradesh Congress Committee President Kishore Upadhyay said while addressing party workers here.
He asked party workers to go to people and seek their cooperation in making the drive a success as such programmes are necessary for expanding the shrinking green cover all over the country.
'Harela', which marks the onset of the sowing season in Uttarakhand, is being celebrated on a big scale this year in the form of the tree plantation drive.
Officials have been asked to plant a sapling in each village of their area and offer incentives to those who plant fruit and fodder bearing trees.
The campaign is scheduled to end on July 18.
