Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi planted a sapling at his official residence in Bhubaneswar on Friday, 5 June 2026 — World Environment Day — as part of the nationwide Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, joined by BJP MPs Kangana Ranaut and Dr Sambit Patra.

Context

Posting in Odia on X, CM Majhi described the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One Tree in the Name of Mother) campaign as 'a unique expression of our reverence and respect towards our birth-mother and Mother Earth.' He noted that the drive, launched at the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 'has today transformed into a widespread people's movement.'

The plantation at the Chief Minister's official residence brought together two prominent BJP parliamentarians. Kangana Ranaut, MP and actress, and Dr Sambit Patra, national spokesperson and MP, participated alongside Majhi in planting saplings on the occasion.

Policy Backdrop

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign on World Environment Day, 5 June 2024, with a public call to every citizen to plant one tree in their mother's name — drawing a symbolic link between the nurturer of life and the nurturing of the planet.

The campaign has since been integrated into state-level environmental programmes across the country. BJP-governed states, including Odisha, have incorporated it into official afforestation drives, aligning with broader central initiatives such as Van Mahotsav expansions and state green missions. The coordinated participation of MPs alongside chief ministers at such events reflects a deliberate centre-state messaging strategy on environmental sustainability.

Stakeholders and Impact

The campaign's primary beneficiaries are communities that gain green cover, cleaner air, and ecological balance over the long term. State governments serve as the implementing machinery, converting a symbolic central call into measurable plantation targets on the ground.

The presence of Kangana Ranaut and Dr Sambit Patra — both national-profile BJP figures — at a state-level event in Odisha underscores the party's effort to amplify the campaign's visibility beyond routine administrative participation. Such high-profile engagement is intended to encourage public participation at the grassroots level.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to state-level reporting on sapling survival rates and cumulative plantation totals achieved across Odisha by the end of 2026. Analysts will also watch whether the campaign is integrated into upcoming state budget allocations for environment and forestry, and how it is marked on World Environment Day 2027.

With India's afforestation commitments forming part of its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, campaigns like Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam carry significance beyond symbolism — they represent a scalable, citizen-driven mechanism for expanding green cover at low administrative cost.