G.O.(Ms.) No.181, Massive Tree Plantation Activities under MGNREGS, 2020-21
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department issued Government Order (Ms.) No.181 dated 6 November 2020, granting administrative sanction for planting 72 lakh saplings in rural areas under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme during 2020-21. The programme covers specified public and institutional locations at an estimated cost of Rs.224.57 crore, but the document does not state that it changes land ownership.
What the government approved
Government Order (Ms.) No.181 dated 6 November 2020 grants administrative sanction for a massive tree plantation programme in rural Tamil Nadu under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department will implement the programme with the Forest Department.
The approved programme includes:
- Planting 72 lakh saplings during the financial year 2020-21.
- Raising and planting 64 lakh saplings through the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and block nurseries.
- Raising and planting 8 lakh saplings through the Forest Department in convergence with the employment guarantee scheme.
- An estimated total cost of Rs.224.57 crore, including Rs.219.53 crore for labour and Rs.5.04 crore for materials.
- Financial sanction only after receipt of the Government of India share.
Land and locations covered
Government Order (Ms.) No.181 identifies a range of rural locations where plantation work may be undertaken. These include Panchayat lands, Government lands, Government and private institutions, schools, colleges, parks, road margins, canal bunds, tank foreshores, coastal belts and other vacant places. Roads covered may include PMGSY, NABARD, TNRRIS, Panchayat Union and Panchayat roads.
The source also refers to afforestation, tree planting and horticulture on common and forest lands, with usufruct rights for eligible households under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The document does not grant, transfer or cancel ownership of any property.
Approval and implementation requirements
Government Order (Ms.) No.181 requires local approval and formal recording for selected plantation works:
- A Gram Sabha resolution must be obtained for every selected work.
- Each work must be entered separately in Register No.2 maintained by the concerned village panchayat under the employment guarantee scheme.
- Estimates, administrative sanction and technical sanction must be created through SECURE software.
- The detailed plantation guidelines issued by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department in Government Order (Ms.) No.12 dated 4 February 2019 must be followed without deviation.
- Actual estimates may vary according to site conditions.
Who may be affected
Government Order (Ms.) No.181 mainly affects village panchayats, district authorities, implementing departments and institutions whose sites are selected for plantation. Property buyers or owners may wish to check local Gram Sabha records and village panchayat work registers if plantation activity is proposed near or within land they are examining.
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Common questions
Does Government Order (Ms.) No.181 change the ownership of rural land?
The document authorises plantation work and sets implementation procedures. It does not state that any land ownership is granted, transferred or cancelled.
Can trees be planted on private property under this programme?
The listed locations include Government and private institutions, as well as public lands and other vacant places. The document does not generally state that privately owned residential or agricultural land is covered.
How can I check whether a plantation work was approved in my village?
Every selected work requires a Gram Sabha resolution and must be entered work by work in Register No.2 of the concerned village panchayat.
Which departments are responsible for planting the 72 lakh saplings?
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department is responsible for 64 lakh saplings. The Forest Department is responsible for the remaining 8 lakh saplings through convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
