Bhubaneswar MP not invited for Vana Mahotsav Programme

Bhubaneswar: Another political drama was seen here in Odisha politics after the State government left out Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi from the list of invitees to the 73rd Van Mahotsav organised in ward 50 of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) here recently.

Many BJP workers led by the corporator of the ward Ramchandra Ranasingh staged a dharna outside the venue wearing black badges protesting the exclusion of the MP.

Interestingly the local corporator was also not invited to the function. Aparajita said this is not the first time that she was not invited to a function of the State government of her constituency. When asked for reasons for the exclusion of MP, Minister Ashok Panda gave no satisfactory answer.

The State-level 73rd Vana Mahotsav was celebrated with much enthusiasm in the Municipal Government High School at Baramunda on Thursday. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik graced the programme virtually through video conference.

Like every year, Vana Mahotsav was celebrated in the first week of July.

This programme is aimed at protecting forests and massive plantation throughout the State under various schemes by the Forest department. To increase the forest cover, this year different afforestation programmes are being taken up in this season through Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), artificial generation (AR), Urban Tree Plantation (UTP), Avenue Plantation

Under the programme, around 488.16 lakh seedlings are planned to be planted throughout the State and 490.30 lakh seedlings are raised to distribute among the public.

Also, the medicinal value of plants was realised during the Covid pandemic in the last two years. Plantation of medicinal plants along with forest species is also being emphasised and encouraged by the government.

To create awareness among school students regarding Vana Mahotsav, competitions like debate, essay-writing and drawing were conducted and winners were awarded on this occasion.