From financial misappropriation and poor survival of planted trees to a near-total collapse of institutional mechanisms, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged major shortcomings in how Maharashtra’s forest department implemented the Green India Mission (GIM).The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the flagship programme in 2014 to protect, restore and enhance green cover in 16 states and Union Territories between 2015-16 and 2024-25. In Maharashtra, 35 sites across four talukas in Nandurbar, Bhor and Wadsa were selected.The GIM is one of eight missions under India’s national action plan on climate change and a key part of the country’s climate commitments, since expanding forest and tree cover has been among India’s priorities under the Paris Agreement, adopted at COP21 in 2015.Also Read | Climate change reshaping carbon storage in India’s forests: IITM-Pune studyThe CAG report states that Maharashtra failed to achieve almost all the major targets under the scheme within the timeline. The Indian Express sought comment from Milind Mhaiskar, additional chief secretary, forest department, but he is yet to respond.Agency never revamped, never metA key mandate of the GIM was to revamp each state’s forest development agency (SFDA), the apex body that implements afforestation and eco-development programmes, receives funds from the Union ministry and represents the state nationally.The SFDA was earlier chaired by the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), with the chairpersons and CEOs of centrally sponsored afforestation schemes on its board. Under the GIM, it was to be chaired by the chief minister or a minister nominated by the CM, and include the PCCF and key forest department officials.The CAG found the SFDA was never revamped in Maharashtra. In the 10 years between 2014-15 and 2024-25, the existing SFDA did not hold a single meeting.Story continues below this adThe state steering committee (SSC), set up in April 2016 to guide district planning bodies on the GIM and afforestation, met only once till 2025, against the 18 meetings prescribed over nine years.Money claimed, money spentIn 2018-19, the state released Rs 17.17 crore to the SFDA after a delay of 206 days. The SFDA told the CAG it spent Rs 12.75 crore that year, leaving an unspent balance of Rs 4.42 crore.The audit found otherwise. “Audit found that Rs 12.75 crore was reported as utilised by the SFDA; however, for that financial year only Rs 9.26 crore was released to five forest development agencies (FDAs), of which only Rs 0.29 crore was found utilised. Meanwhile, the FDA and SFDAs claimed full utilisation of funds,” the report stated.The SFDA did not open a bank account for the scheme till August 2021. Rs 1.91 crore was deposited with four district planning bodies, Gothangaon, Netali, Kosbad and Jamsher, which were not part of the mission, while eight districts that were actual beneficiaries received nothing.Story continues below this adSaplings on paperIn July 2019, 49,500 saplings were planted in the Wardha region, and their procurement cost the state Rs 33 lakh. “Records relating to the supply of saplings from the nurseries were not furnished by the SFDA; however, it submitted transport challans of 9,336 saplings only,” the report stated.The CAG found that challans of more than 6,800 saplings related to plantation sites outside Wardha. Around 1,600 were issued after the recorded date of plantation. In all, only 116 saplings were planted at the site.Survival claims versus realityAfforestation was carried out over 205 hectares at 35 sites in Goramba and Valval (Nandurbar), Rayari (Bhor) and Yerandi (Wadsa).The SFDA claimed survival rates of 50 per cent at Goramba, 66.33 per cent at Valval, 96 per cent at Rayari and 61.20 per cent at Yerandi. The CAG found actual survival was nil at Goramba, 8.42 per cent at Valval, under 5 per cent at Rayari and under 10 per cent at Yerandi.Story continues below this adThe CAG said many saplings were destroyed largely by cattle belonging to tribal residents of nearby villages. In some cases, daily wage workers who had not been paid by local bodies left their cattle at the sites. Work to protect the saplings could not be done because funds were released late.The CAG identified the failure to carry out soil moisture conservation (SMC), which prevents soil erosion, reduces evaporation and improves water infiltration, as a root cause. All 35 sites required SMC work. None of them got it, a 100 per cent shortfall.