Let us strive to make green Telangana: Gutta Sukhender

Nalgonda/Suryapet: The entire State should be transformed into a green Telangana and must preserve climatic balance by planting more saplings, State Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy.

On Thursday, along with District Collector Prashanth Jeevan Patil, Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Nethi Vidya Sagar, ZP Chairman Banda Narender Reddy, local MLA Chirumarthi Lingaiah, he participated in sixth phase Haritha Haram programme at Pamanagundla village of Kattangur mandal in the district.

Speaking on the occasion, Sukhender Reddy said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has Initiated Haritha Haram programme for ecological balance and also to increase forest coverage to 33 per cent across the State. The CM had launched the programme at Chilkur of Ranga Reddy district on July 3, 2015.

The Chairman expressed his pleasure over participating in the 6th phase drive and added Telangana became a role model to the rest of the country through it's innovative programmes to develop the State and for the welfare of the poor.

He reminded that many States in the country and even the Central government are following the schemes of Telangana State. Haritha Haram drive has got appreciation from all corners of the country, he added.

Sukhender Reddy informed that Haritha Haram programme was targeted to plant about 230 crore plants across the State and so far as many as 182 crore saplings have been planted during five phases. The target for the district is to plant 85 lakh saplings in the sixth phase, he added.

It is responsibility of local people's representatives, officials and people to protect the planted saplings. He said the State government has been allocating funds to gram panchayats and urban local bodies to develop greenery.

He thanked Chief Minister KCR for depositing financial aid in the bank accounts of 5.7 lakh farmers under Rythu Bandhu scheme.

Stating that Godavari water of Kaleshwaram project has entered into the district on Wednesday, he informed that KCR was committed to complete the pending projects SLBC and Udayasamudram lift irrigation schemes.

In Suryapet, Minister Jagadish Reddy planted saplings as part of sixth phase of Haritha Haram programme and called upon the people to plant and protect as many saplings as possible.

Local MLAs, officials and people participated in Haritha Haram programme in their respective constituencies in the erstwhile Nalgonda district and planted saplings.