MP minister plans plantation drive for Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s birth anniversary

MP urban development and housing minister Bhupendra Singh said a massive plantation campaign will place in all “Shiv Vatikas” in all 413 urban bodies of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday

Published on: Mar 3, 2023, 23:05:16 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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BHOPAL: Over 400 municipal bodies in Madhya Pradesh will start developing Shiv Vatika, a special garden, to mark chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s birth anniversary on Sunday, a state minister said on Friday.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (PTI File Photo)

An urban development and housing department official said a massive plantation campaign was being organised for Sunday. The initial budget of this programme is ₹50 lakh, the official added.

MP urban development and housing minister Bhupendra Singh said the chief minister will also inaugurate the ‘Laadli Behna Scheme under which women aged between 23 to 60 will be entitled to seek a monthly allowance of ₹1,000.

“Before that, a massive plantation campaign will place in all “Shiv Vatika” in all 413 urban bodies. Shiv Vatika will be dedicated to the CM. Plantation of saplings is the biggest birthday present for our chief minister, who has dedicated every moment to environment protection,” Singh said, adding that he has instructed principal secretary Neeraj Mandloi to complete all preparations for the plantation drive.

An urban development department official, who asked not to be named, said the 16 larger corporations have been told to plant at least 500 saplings and the smaller one has given a target of 150 to 250. “Officials of local bodies have been asked to ensure participation of women BJP leader, corporators, officers, self-helped group women members and women voters in the plantation. Plants of local species will be planted on priority.”

In September 2021, the Madhya Pradesh government decided to develop 1070 NaMo Udyan on government land to celebrate the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That attempt had led to planting of 75,000 saplings, an official said.

Congress leaders said the BJP government was misusing public funds. “They first hold Vikas Yatra by spending money from panchayat funds and now this vatika. To please the chief minister, the UDH minister is developing special gardens,” said MP Congress spokesperson KK Mishra.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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