Gairsain: On the second day of the budget session being held at the Bhararisain Assembly complex in Gairsain, the summer capital of Uttarakhand, the government shared information about the steps taken to prevent forest fires. During the Question Hour, Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal told the House that the government is working on a plan to collect pine needles (pirul) to reduce the main causes of fires in pine forests.
He said that in 2025, 5,532 tons of pirul were purchased from villagers. Now this target has been increased to 8,555 tons. The government’s intention is to remove pirul from forests so that incidents of forest fires can be reduced to the minimum level.
Pirul worth ₹5.42 crore purchased
The Forest Minister said that several serious efforts are being made to prevent forest fires on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Through the Forest Department, pirul worth ₹5.42 crore has been purchased from villagers over the past year. Along with this, extensive awareness campaigns are also being conducted.
Fire management committees formed
The government has also formed fire management committees under the chairmanship of village heads. These committees are working with the Forest Department to protect forests from fire. So far, 1,239 awareness camps have been organized. To encourage these committees, each Gram Panchayat is also being given an incentive amount of ₹30,000.
₹10 lakh insurance for fire watchers
The Forest Minister said that fire watchers play a very important role during forest fire incidents. Keeping their safety in mind, the government has implemented a collective insurance scheme of ₹10 lakh for fire watchers for the first time. Last year, about 5,600 fire watchers played an important role in controlling forest fires.
Major budget provision for UPNL employees
It was also informed in the House that the state government has taken an important step in the 2026–27 budget to ensure equal pay for equal work for former UPNL employees. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has made a provision of ₹289 crore 98 lakh 29 thousand for this in the budget.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is fully sensitive towards the interests of employees and workers. Former UPNL employees have served in various departments for a long time, and protecting their interests is the responsibility of the government. With this objective, sufficient budget has been ensured to implement equal pay for equal work.
