Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday announced a special gift for employees and officers of the state Forest Department on the occasion of Durga Puja.
He said the state government will increase the salaries and allowances of rangers, beat officers, forest guards and forest assistants from October, coinciding with the festive season.
The Chief Minister attended the central project Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam programme at Moharkunj in central Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon. After delivering a message on protecting greenery, he announced the salary hike for forest staff.
“You work in various places with a lot of risk. I will give you good news. Puja is in the month of October, and from that month, the salary of 500 rangers has been increased. It has been increased by Rs 5,000. The salary of beat officers has been increased by Rs 5,000, and the salary of forest guards has been increased by Rs 5,000. Along with this, forest assistants used to get a salary of Rs 12,000 till now. Their salary has also been increased by Rs 2,000,” Adhikari said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister promised that 10 crore trees will be planted in West Bengal this year.
“On October 2, we will release a tiger in Buxa forest in north Bengal. There will be a new aquarium in Kolkata’s Alipore. One lakh trees will be planted in Bhowanipore. I told the Prime Minister’s Office that if Uttar Pradesh can plant 26 crore trees, we will also plant 10 crore trees this year. We will maintain and care for them for two years. The process of planting those trees is going on at a fast pace,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched a programme to protect the environment and honour mothers. He named this programme A tree in the name of mother or in Hindi Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
The Prime Minister launched the initiative for tree plantation across the country, urging people to plant at least one sapling in the name of their mother and take care of it.
–IANS
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