Lucknow: U.P. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Horticulture, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Foreign Trade and Agricultural Export, Dinesh Pratap Singh held a review meeting of the District Horticulture Development Fund with departmental officials at his official residence. In the meeting, the development and management of the state’s state public/ornamented gardens/parks were discussed in detail.
The Horticulture Minister directed that the formation of District Horticulture Development Committees should be ensured soon in all the operating state public/ornamented gardens/parks of the state, so that their proper management and maintenance can be done. He also said that the ownership of these gardens should be registered in the revenue records, so that the process of their expansion and development can be uninterrupted. Proposals for innovation in ornamented gardens/parks should be sent as soon as possible.
Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh said that the expansion of gardens should not be limited to greenery only, but they should be linked with historical, cultural and spiritual importance. This will not only strengthen environmental protection, but will also promote tourism and cultural heritage of the state.
In the meeting, the minister laid special emphasis on the District Horticulture Development Fund and said that state public and ornamental gardens are established in 50 districts of the state, which provide a healthy environment to the local people.
To ensure the participation of the general public in the management and development of these gardens, a revised government order of the District Horticulture Development Committee has been issued. So far, the committee has been formed in 14 districts, which include Aligarh, Basti, Jhansi, Ayodhya, Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Jaunpur, Varanasi, Mathura, Agra, Mainpuri, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur.
The Horticulture Minister directed that the meeting of the District Horticulture Development Committee should be held within a week in these 14 districts and its minutes should also be released.
Apart from this, the District Horticulture Development Committee should be constituted soon in the remaining 36 districts and meetings should be ensured, so that the gardens can be properly managed and maintained.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Horticulture B.L. Meena, senior officials of the Horticulture Department and various Deputy Directors and District Horticulture Officers.
