Previous Year Question

The ‘Apna Van Apna Dhan’ Scheme was a forestry initiative of the Government of Himachal Pradesh. Its principal objective was to promote plantation on private lands and thereby increase the tree cover of the State.

Under the Scheme, tree seedlings were supplied free of cost to private landowners, so that plantation could be expanded on private lands in addition to government forest areas.

According to records of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, about 40,000 tree seedlings were distributed to the public during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period under the Scheme.

Thus, the objective was not merely plantation but also to increase forest/tree cover through public participation, develop tree resources on private lands and help reduce pressure on natural forests.

With this broader objective, Himachal Pradesh also implemented various forestry initiatives such as Sanjha Van–Sanjivani Van, Apna Van–Apna Dhan and Peepal–Bargad.