Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the officials concerned to explore the possibilities of utilising funds under the national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGA) for the Haritha Haram programme in the State. The Chief Minister said every stage of the Haritha Haram programme from maintenance of nurseries to plantation of saplings involves human labour and officials concerned should prepare a detailed project report for involving agriculture labour in the implementation of the scheme. He made this observation during a meeting to review the progress of the scheme with senior officials on Sunday. There are 12,751 panchayats including the newly formed ones and in the State and the officials have been asked to take up the programme considering village as a unit. Since the Harita Haram Haritha Haram scheme is labour-intensive, hence agriculture labour should be deployed for taking up the work utilising NREGA funds would be beneficial in both ways. Officials should accordingly prepare an action plan along with estimates relating to the spending that would be required for the programme. According to an official release, Mr. Rao recalled the ecosystem and greenery had suffered due to felling of trees and this had to be made up through rejuvenation of forests. Telanganaku Harita Haram had been conceived for this. Officials concerned should give priority to fruit-bearing trees ensuring these species constituted at least 25% of the total saplings planted during the programme. Accordingly, species like Tuniki, Morri, Neredu, Seetaphal, Jama should be kept ready in large numbers as monkeys, birds and other animals which suffer due to loss of natural habitat feed on these, he said.

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