Forest Dept. engages rural employment guarantee scheme workers for raising seedlings

Forest Department integrates MGNREGS workers to raise native tree seedlings, aligning with Green Tamil Nadu Mission for environmental sustainability.

The Forest Department has begun to involve Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers for raising seedlings of native tree species in its nurseries.

The move comes in the wake of convergence of the Green Tamil Nadu Mission, being implemented by the Forest Department, with the MGNREGS. 

Separate teams of MGNREGS workers were involved in raising of seedlings at each of the seven nurseries of the Forest Department in neighbouring Pudukottai district. The workers would be involved in a host of activities including formation of germination bed, sowing of seeds, filling of earth in polythene bags, watering of seedlings and grading. 

This is for the first time that MGNREGS workers were being involved in raising of seedlings in the Forest Department nurseries, said a senior department official in Pudukottai. The activities commenced in late December and are currently underway in the nurseries functioning at the seven forest ranges including Keeranur, Pudukottai, Aranthangi, Thirumayam and Ponnamaravathi in Pudukottai district. The workers would also be involved in raising of seedlings at the nurseries of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

The Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department had prepared a project report last year on the convergence of Green Tamil Nadu Mission with the MGNREGS for raising and planting of quality seedlings on farm lands, community lands, urban and peri-urban lands, institutional lands, waterbodies and degraded forest landscapes.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department sent the draft guidelines on the convergence of the Green Tamil Nadu Mission with the MGNREGS for the periods from 2024-2025 to 2026-2027 requesting approval of the government. 

The government after careful examination accepted the guidelines for the convergence. The roles of the Forest Department and the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department have been clearly spelt out in the guidelines for the convergence.