Gandhinagar, Sept. 11 -- On National Forest Martyrs' Day, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the state's first 'Vanpal Smarak' in Gandhinagar and paid floral tributes to nine forest personnel who laid down their lives while protecting forests and wildlife, a release said on Thursday.

In honour of the sacrifice of forest guards, foresters, range forest officers, and other frontline forest personnel of the Forest Department who were martyred while performing their duty in the protection and conservation of forests and wildlife, the Central Government has been observing 11th September every year as National Forest Martyrs' Day since 2013.

In Gujarat, about nine such forest martyrs have laid down their lives. To express gratitud...