Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a meeting of the Green Maharashtra Commission at Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai, on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, directing officials to transform the state's tree plantation drive into a large-scale, sustainable movement powered by advanced technology, public-private partnerships, and Gram Panchayat-level planning.

Context

At the meeting, CM Fadnavis underscored the scale of the state's ambition — planting 18 crore trees in the current year — describing the target as requiring 'meticulous planning and coordinated participation from all stakeholders.' Minister Ganesh Naik and senior state officials were present at the deliberations. The Chief Minister stressed that seamless inter-departmental coordination would be central to achieving the goal.

Fadnavis specifically instructed that special emphasis be placed on the VB-G RAM G scheme, under which tree plantation is to be scaled up across the state. He directed that every Gram Panchayat prepare a dedicated tree plantation roadmap to ensure accountability and effective on-ground execution at the village level.

Policy Backdrop

A key infrastructure element highlighted at the meeting was a GIS-based 'land bank' — a digital mapping exercise that identifies suitable land parcels across Maharashtra for plantation activity. The land bank is designed to enable systematic and efficient deployment of saplings, removing guesswork from site selection.

The Chief Minister also directed that coordinated planning with private institutions, NGOs, and other stakeholders be undertaken to ensure adequate sapling availability before the next plantation season. He further emphasised optimal utilisation of land available with agricultural universities and other institutions for tree plantation purposes, broadening the base of participating entities beyond government departments alone.

Stakeholders and Impact

The push for public-private partnerships (PPP) signals an intent to move beyond purely government-funded plantation drives, drawing in corporate social responsibility commitments, civil society, and academic institutions. With Gram Panchayats tasked to prepare individual roadmaps, the initiative devolves responsibility to the grassroots level, potentially improving local ownership and survival rates of planted saplings.

The VB-G RAM G scheme and the GIS land bank together represent a shift toward data-driven, technology-enabled environmental governance in Maharashtra — a departure from earlier, largely manual plantation campaigns. The involvement of Minister Ganesh Naik, who oversees relevant portfolios, signals cross-ministerial buy-in for the programme.

What's Next

With the plantation season approaching, the immediate priority will be ensuring sapling supply chains are in place through NGO and private-sector coordination, as directed by CM Fadnavis. Gram Panchayats across Maharashtra are now expected to submit plantation roadmaps, which will serve as the operational backbone of the 18-crore-tree target for 2026.

The Green Maharashtra Commission's ability to enforce inter-departmental coordination and track GIS-mapped plantation sites will be closely watched as a test of whether the state can convert ambitious numerical targets into verifiable, sustained green cover — a challenge that has historically plagued large-scale plantation drives across India.