Chandigarh: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has flagged major shortcomings in the implementation of the Green India Mission (GIM) in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, citing shortfalls in plantation targets, outdated planning data and inadequate monitoring.The performance audit covered 16 states and Union Territories, from 2015-16 to 2022-23, with findings updated up to March 2025.Across the three northern states, the CAG assessment identified large gaps between approved targets and reported creation work. Himachal Pradesh had an approved target of 21,459 hectares and reported creation work over 1,299 hectares, resulting in a shortfall of 20,160 hectares (93.95%).Haryana set an approved target of 67,562 hectares — the largest among three states — but reported creation work over 7,422.50 hectares, leaving a shortfall of 60,139.50 hectares (89.01%).Punjab had an approved target of 18,994 hectares but reported achievement of 7,168 hectares of creation work up to March 2025, leaving a shortfall of 11,826 hectares (62.26%).The audit also found substantial differences between the figures reported by the states and those maintained by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC).In Haryana, the ministry reported only 1,301 hectares of creation work compared to the state’s claim of 7,422.50 hectares, a difference of 6,121.50 hectares. In Himachal, the ministry recorded zero achievement against the state’s claimed 1,299 hectares. In Punjab, the ministry reported 6,568 hectares against the state’s figure of 7,168 hectares.Outdated data used: CAGThe audit found that the states had relied on substantially outdated baseline information.Punjab submitted its plan in Dec 2014 using the 2001 Census (13 years old), satellite forest cover data from Oct 2006 to Jan 2007 (eight years old) and forest classification data from the India State of Forest Report 2009 (five years old), according to the report.In Haryana, the plan was submitted in Nov 2017 and approved in Aug 2021, a delay of 44 months. The forest-cover and climate-vulnerability data were from the India State of Forest Report 2013 and were four years old.The SFDA, Haryana, stated the plan prepared during 2014-15 was sent for approval to MoEF&CC in Nov 2017 but was approved in Aug 2021. During this gap period, no revision could be made based on new baseline data. The audit did not accept the contention, stating that the approved plan was based on data that was four years old even at the time of submission to the ministry. The CAG observed that consideration of old baseline data for the compilation of the perspective plans did not provide a true picture of the prevailing conditions and led to improper planning, which in turn affected the implementation of the plan.Himachal Pradesh’s perspective plan was submitted three times, in March 2013, Feb 2015 and March 2016. It was finally approved by the national executive council in Jan 2018, a delay of 14 months. The audit also noted that the last revised plan submitted in March 2017 had not been revised to identify new landscapes. The audit also raised concerns over the selection of landscapes. A climate-vulnerability assessment by the Himachal Pradesh forest department classified the selected landscapes into four biogeographic zones. The North-Western Himalayas was identified as the most vulnerable, followed by the Western Himalayas, Trans Himalayas and Shiwaliks. However, out of 29 landscapes for which funds were released in June 2020, 15 (52%), belonged to the Shiwalik zone, which the CAG noted was the least vulnerable among the four zones.Delay in release of fundsState govt routinely delayed transferring funds to their respective SFDAs, according to the report. Punjab delayed fund releases by 59 to 373 days and failed to transfer Rs 8.31 crore in Central share funds during 2015–16 and 2017–18. Himachal Pradesh delayed funding of Rs 18.98 crore by 257 to 832 days, while Haryana logged delays of up to 25 days in releasing Rs 9.55 crore to the SFDA in 2021–22.These financial bottlenecks hampered ground operations. Soil moisture conservation works were skipped at 54 out of 56 verified sites in Punjab, and at 36 out of 46 sites in Himachal Pradesh. Punjab officials told the CAG in March 2025 that inadequate funds had resulted in insufficient monitoring of plantation activities. For the more intensive level 4 monitoring, Punjab again cited inadequate funding as the reason for insufficient monitoring.REQUIRED MEETINGS NOT HELDThe SFDA general body in each state is required to meet at least once a year. Punjab SFDA was constituted in June 2016 and nine meetings were due, but none held up to March 2025. Similarly, nine meetings due in Haryana and eight in Himachal Pradesh were not conducted.
