Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath kicked off the Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan 2023 from Bijnor on Saturday by planting a sapling of the ‘Kalpavriksha’ on the banks of the Ganga.
Inaugurating the state-wide massive plantation drive, the Chief Minister distributed saplings to the schoolchildren and called upon every individual to plant saplings extensively to save the environment.
Earlier, he laid the foundation stone of the Government Sanskrit Inter College at Vidur Kuti. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of various development projects worth Rs 445 crore.
Addressing the public gathering, the chief minister noted that Bijnor has a long history dating back thousands of years. “This is the sacred meditation place of Mahatma Vidur, where Ganga’s son Bhishma also spent his childhood. This is the land where Lord Krishna preferred to eat ‘sarson ka saag’ (a leafy vegetable) at Mahatma Vidur’s home to Duryodhana’s ‘Malpua’, because Mahatma Vidur is a symbol of righteousness and public welfare.”
Congratulating the people of Uttar Pradesh for Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan 2023, Yogi said, “With the planting of 30 crore saplings as part of the state’s extensive plantation campaign, UP is setting a new record today.”
Stating that Bijnor is the land of India’s history, the CM said, “It is a matter of pride for me that I have got the opportunity to take forward the tree plantation campaign of 2023 from this holy place.”
On this occasion, state government’s Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Forest Minister Arun Kumar Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary Forest Manoj Singh, Principal Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, and former minister Ashok Kataria, among others, were present.