Computer Baba gives clean chit to MP govt on mass plantation drive

BHOPAL: Almost a month after getting minister of state (MoS) status, religious leader Computer Baba finally gave clean chit to the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government over alleged irregularities during mass plantation drive held in July 2017.
The godman, who toured four districts after he was assigned the new responsibility to review the plantation and conservation work undertaken by the government, said 6 crore saplings planted on the bank of river Narmada and elsewhere have shown good growth and allegations pertaining to the poor survival were baseless.

The godman toured four districts.
"I personally visited Mandla, Narsinghpur, Seoni and Jabalpur to assess the plantation and found that barring a few locations where saplings could not survive adverse conditions, the plants are growing fast. In Jabalpur, we witnessed a place where 25,000 saplings were planted on the Narmada river bank. In Ralamandal, in Indore, the saplings have grown 8-to-10 feet tall turning the entire area into a green forest," Computer Baba told TOI.
Computer Baba aka Swami Namdev Das Tyagi had hit the headlines last month when he, along with five other seers and saints, was accorded MoS status by the Madhya Pradesh government. The religious leader, who had threatened agitation against the BJP ruled government for alleged scam in the Narmada conservation programme and irregularities during mass plantation, cancelled his proposed stir after getting the status on April 3.

The 54-year-old religious leader had claimed that sadhus wanted their representation in the assembly.
Recently, the 54-year-old religious leader had claimed that sadhus wanted their representation in the assembly and, hence, sought BJP tickets for some of them in the year-end elections. Last week, Computer Baba and his associate Pandit Yogendra Mahant had sought government vehicle, guards and government bungalow for them.
Baba has also claimed to have launched a state-wide campaign for cleanliness, save water, mass plantation and cleaning of tributaries and drain lines releasing sewage water in the Narmada river. He said at some places 5 to 10% saplings did not survive but it is a normal figure.

"We have launched several drives to restore the ground water and clean the river belt," he said.
"We have launched several drives to restore the ground water and clean the river belt. We are also aware that 5-to-10% saplings do not survive due to adverse conditions but, it is normal. We are trying to rope in farmers, saints, local people and officials of the concerned department to make collective efforts to save the river and conserve the environment. Like in Seoni-Malwa, near Hoshangabad, farmers are erecting a boundary wall in their fields to save the plants,", claimed the godman.
Computer Baba's revelations are contrary to the allegations by Opposition Congress who had charged the state government with large-scale irregularities and demanded a report on the survival of the 6 crore saplings planted under massive drive. Baba said that they were being targeted by some people and even fake saints were also trying to malign his (Computer Baba) image due to vested reasons.