CAG Flags Missing Green India Mission Monitoring Records in Bengal

The Green India Mission plants trees and checks whether they are growing properly.

West Bengal could not show auditors important records about these checks.

These records were supposed to show that local people, organisations and forest officials monitored the plantations.

Local village councils, called Gram Sabhas, were also supposed to review the work.

However, such social audits did not happen in 14 of the 16 states and Union Territories examined.

Mizoram and Uttarakhand held them only sometimes.

Without these checks, it is difficult to know whether the plantations survived or delivered environmental benefits.

The CAG recommended better community audits and the use of maps and field checks.

These steps could help confirm where trees were planted and prevent the same work from being counted twice.