BHUBANESWAR: Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Wednesday said trees are the biggest assets that people can leave behind for their future generations.
Speaking at an event organised to mark 15 years of the ‘My Tree’ campaign by city-based Bakul Foundation, the deputy chief minister said she has been leading Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa ke Naam’ initiative in the state, which involves promoting the same idea of building relationship with trees as Bakul Foundation.
“If we don’t plant trees now, then we will not leave anything worthwhile for our children. We will leave them a world in which they will have to be in hospitals with oxygen masks. The trees we plant will be the biggest property we can leave for our children,’ she said.
Founder of Bakul Foundation Sujit Mahapatra said the campaign promotes personal relationship with trees. “When we started in 2009, the idea was alien. Most people did not understand the idea of cultural practices around trees. Now, due to consistent efforts of volunteers over 15 years, gifting of plants has become commonplace,” he said. Over 1,000 volunteers are part of the campaign now.
Principal secretary of Agriculture department Arabinda Padhee also spoke. On the occasion, a few leaders of the campaign were felicitated.