Telangana CM moots Green Fund for spurring plantation

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday proposed a Green Fund to support various activities to improve the green cover in the state.

Speaking in State Assembly, he mooted the fund which will have participation of all segments of people with some monetary contribution.

Officials said Telangana will become the first state in the country to come up with Green Fund.

Money for the Telangana Haritha Fund (Telangana Green Fund) is proposed be mobilised from people at the time of registration of their property, renewal of their licenses, and admission of students into schools and colleges.

Rao said Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assembly, and Members of Legislative Council will contribute Rs 500 every month. Public representatives of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) have already agreed to make the contribution, he said and appealed to all the opposition parties to come forward.

Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and Indian Forest Service officers will contribute Rs 100 every month from their salary towards the Fund. Every other state government employee will contribute Rs 25 per month.

Similarly, it is proposed that traders will pay Rs 1,000 each for the Green Fund at the time of renewal of licenses for their trade, shops, bars, and liquor shops.

Pointing out that every day 8,000 property and land registrations take place in the state, he said there is a proposal to collect Rs 50 from each transaction.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said he spoke to public representatives, officials and employees who are ready to contribute.

There is also a proposal to charge 0.1 per cent on government contract works, which will be collected by the Roads and Buildings Department.

He said the state government would bring the proposed Fund to the notice of the Central government.

He mooted the proposal during short-duration discussion on ‘Haritha Haram’, the flagship programme of the state government for plantation across the state.

KCR was confident that Green Fund will make Telangana a role model in another sector. “Like many schemes of Telangana, this will also become a role model,” he said.