Sabujshree is an environmental and social welfare scheme in West Bengal that gifts a high-value tree sapling to every newborn baby. Launched in 2016, the scheme aims to promote environmental consciousness and provide long-term financial security for the child.
Key Benefits
- Environmental Impact: Aims to increase the state’s green cover by planting approximately 15 lakh saplings annually.
- Financial Security: The sapling (typically a timber-yielding species) grows alongside the child. When the child reaches adulthood (approximately 18–20 years), the tree can be harvested for its high-value timber, providing a significant lump sum for higher education or other needs.
- Starter Kit: Along with the sapling, parents receive a customized jute bag, a packet of organic manure, and a leaflet explaining how to plant and care for the tree.
Eligibility and Distribution
- Target Group: Every newborn baby in West Bengal, regardless of financial status.
- Tree Species: Seedlings of valuable species like Mahogany, Teak, Sissoo, Gamar, Rose Wood, or Red Sander are provided.
- Distribution Point: Saplings are typically distributed at the time of the mother and child’s discharge from the hospital or health center.
Process and Implementation
- Registration: The birth registration at the hospital or through the local Gram Panchayat/Municipality triggers the notification to the Forest Department.
- naming the Tree: Parents are encouraged to name the tree after their child to foster an emotional bond.
- Support: ASHA workers and “Aranya Bandhus” (Forest Friends) often assist families in rural areas with the logistics of obtaining the sapling.
- Implementation Agencies: It is a collaborative effort between the Department of Forest, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, and the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development.
For more information, parents can contact the nearest Block Development Office (BDO) or the local Forest Department office.