The 23rd Infantry Division GOC Major General A.K. Singh said the army is always conscious of the ecology and will do all to improve the environment. Singh, who is known to be fond of the greens, said the force would ensure that the programme is successful and the state has a rich growth of healthy trees in the near future.

A small cultural programme was also organised by students of the Army Public School. The students enacted a skit to drive home the message of saving the environment.

The students, through their drama, convinced spectators that trees are the source of a healthy ecology.

Chief minister Madhu Koda praised the efforts of the army and said that the discipline of the force will ensure the success of the plantation drive. The army will definitely maintain the saplings at the initial stage, which is the most crucial part of the entire programme.

"The plantation drive will also prove to be good for the people at large as they would have access to fruits and timber, which would cater to their personal needs," Koda said.

The state Congress unit has, however, criticised the state government for organising the programme without any prior information to the public. Such programmes should be publicised for more participation.

The masses should be involved in such programmes to make its objective successful, said Congress students' wing leader Matlub Imam