Gandhinagar, Sep 11 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday paid homage to nine forest martyrs from the state who lost their lives while protecting and conserving forests and wildlife.

Observing National Forest Martyrs Day, CM Patel offered floral tributes at the state's first 'Vanpal Memorial', built at the Van Chetna Kendra in Sector 30, Gandhinagar.

The day is marked nationwide on September 11 every year since 2013, following the central government's decision to honour forest rangers, guards, range officers, and frontline personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

Accompanied by State Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera and Minister of State Mukesh Patel, the Chief Minister observed two minutes of silence in memory of the fallen personnel.

Legislator Ritaben Patel, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Environment) Sanjeev Kumar, Head of Forest Force A.P. Singh, and senior forest officials were also present to pay their respects.

Gujarat has taken several significant budgetary steps toward wildlife and forest conservation. In the 2025-26 state budget, Rs 40 crore has been allocated specifically to prevent lion deaths along railway tracks and to improve wildlife protection via a command-and-control unit.

Additionally, the Forest Department has been given Rs 655 crore for the development and promotion of forest areas, using methods like Miyawaki plantation, and Rs 10 crore for its coastal 'green wall' (Mishti programme). On lion conservation, the state government had spent Rs 277.93 crore during 2022-23 in the Gir and Greater Gir regions.

This amount was spent on hiring veterinarians, deploying ambulances in forested zones, operating rapid-action rescue teams, setting up disease-treatment centres, and other protective infrastructure. At the national level, the Union Government launched the Project Lion, with an approved budget of about Rs 2,927.71 crore.

This project will support wildlife health, habitat management, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation, along with setting up a National Wildlife Disease Diagnostic and Referral Centre in Junagadh.

During 2016-2021, out of a total expenditure by Gujarat's forest force wings, only about Rs 823 crore was spent specifically on protection, conservation, and management of wildlife sanctuaries - roughly 13.7 per cent of their total activities over that period, according to an official report.

/IANS