Focus mainly on forest fires as Himachal CM releases training manual for 1,896 newly appointed ‘Van Mitras’

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) released a training manual for newly appointed ‘Van Mitras’ at his official residence Oak Over in Shimla.

The manual will be used to train Van Mitras in forest fire management, departmental functioning, nursery management, various plantation programmes and overall forest management practices.

The Van Mitras will undergo training in their respective ranges from May 1 to 5, 2025. All Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) have been appointed as nodal officers for the training and will monitor its progress.

While directing that the manuals be distributed to training centres and trainers promptly, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to provide high-quality training to ensure that Van Mitras become well-versed with the department’s functioning and are able to discharge their duties effectively.

He also instructed that the training manual be uploaded on the departmental website for easy access by all Van Mitras.

The Chief Minister said that he would interact with the newly appointed Van Mitras after May 15. He said that the state government is making concerted efforts to strengthen the Forest Department by recruiting staff and equipping it with modern technology.

He further emphasised that considering the upcoming summer season, the Forest Department must remain vigilant about forest fires and take necessary steps to protect the forests.
Under the Van Mitra recruitment program, 1,896 Van Mitras have so far joined at their respective locations across the state.

Arki MLA Sanjay Awasthi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF) Sameer Rastogi and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

TNR News Network