The Haryana government will provide an annual pension of Rs 2,500 to custodians of trees older than 75 years, a minister said.
Haryana Forest and Environment Minister Kanwar Pal said trees older than 75 years have immense ecological value and a pension would be deposited in the bank accounts of those protecting and maintaining such trees.
The Haryana Pran Vaayu Devta Pension Scheme was launched to inculcate a sense of protection and conservation of old trees among people, he said, adding that the government was committed to protect such trees.
Pal said the pension amount will increase every year at rates pro-rata to the increase in the Old Age Samman Pension Scheme for people in the state.
A Pran Vaayu Devta Tree Conservation Committee will identify, map and make an inventory of the trees being covered under the scheme through a systematic census, he said.