Uttarakhand govt calls for dry pine leaves collection to be included in MGNREGA

The Uttarakhand government will send a proposal to the Centre seeking to include collecting dry pine leaves under the ambit of MGNREGA.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who reviewed the work done under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), asked officials to send a proposal to the Centre in this connection.

The Uttarakhand government cleared a policy earlier this year for generating electricity out of dry pine leaves also called "peerul" as it is highly combustible and considered as the main factor behind forest fires in the state.

Apart from boosting alternative energy production in the state, the permission for commercial use of dry pine leaves is likely to generate large scale employment opportunities.

Besides this, aromatic clusters for the production of aromatic plants will also be developed under MGNREGA, Rawat said, adding, aroma parks are already being developed in the state.

Speaking about the state government's plans to link the mothers of 20,000 children suffering from malnutrition with MGNREGA, the chief minister also appealed to officials to adopt two children each suffering from malnutrition.

(With inputs from agencies.)