Bhubaneswar: Noting that development and environment should complement each other, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Monday urged entrepreneurs and industrial houses operating in the state to plant maximum number of saplings as part of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ki Naam-2’ campaign.
Majhi made this appeal at a gathering of industrialists while performing the groundbreaking of 27 major projects in the state.
“I urge all entrepreneurs and industrial institutions to plant as many saplings as possible in their respective areas. Development and environment should complement each other,” he said.
Stating that the industries get a good amount of open space in their project sites, the chief minister said creating greenery is part of their agreement with the government. Therefore, they should make extra efforts to create greenery in their plant site and periphery areas, which is a noble work.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched ‘Ek Ped Maa Ki Naam’ programme last year. “This time under campaign 2 of the programme, the Odisha government has decided to plant 7.5 crore saplings. Odisha is likely to get a place in the world record by planting 75 lakh saplings in one day September 17, the birth anniversary of PM Modi,” he said.
Majhi said he was optimistic that industries would certainly go for plantation because they had come to Odisha under the ‘Modi guarantee’ for investment. “I hope the industries will go for massive plantation. They have responded to the PM’s call and invested in the state,” the chief minister said.
Besides, Majhi said the people of Odisha have decided to plant 75 lakh saplings on the 75th birth anniversary of Modi in recognition of his devotion towards the development of the state.
“Planting 75 lakh saplings by the people of Odisha will be a gift to him. I invite the industrialists to join this campaign,” he said.
PTI
