Maharashtra government starts probe against BJP's plantation drive

Turning tables yet again, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government has instituted a probe into the mega tree plantation drive of erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

According to the claims, over 50 crore saplings were planted between 2014-19 during the erstwhile BJP-Shiv Sena regime. The probe was instituted by State Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod following a letter from senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who is the minister for Other Backward Classes Welfare, alleged there were large-scale corruption and irregularities. Rathod has asked principal secretary (forest) to conduct the probe.

"There were large scale corruption and irregularities, there should be a probe," Wadettiwar said.

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, who was the then Finance, Planning and Forest Minister, said he was open to the probe. Incidentally, both Wadettiwar and Mungantiwar are from the Chandrapur district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

Mungantiwar said that he welcome the development. "Let there be a probe...a white paper should also be published," he said.

"I am not blaming Mungantiwar. This programme was designed by him, but was implemented by all the government departments, including the Forest Department. All the departments were asked to spend 0.5 percent of their budget on this plantation drive. Therefore, they all are responsible to ensure that the trees planted by them actually survive. At least, 70 percent trees should survive. As per my information, 50 percent trees could not survive. The departments can not wash off their hands by just planting the trees," said Wadettiwar.