Fatehabad district development and panchayat officer (DDPO) Rajesh Khot has come up with the innovative idea of planting 1,200 saplings in the district after protesters felled around 600 trees in the district to block roads during the Jat reservation.
“Trees are silent spectators to people’s anger. I don’t understand why protesters fell trees to block roads. I am a Jat and a government officer, but I understand the importance of trees,” the 39-year-old DDPO told HT.
Khot told HT, “I love trees and after seeing that Jat protesters cut 599 trees in the district, I have decided to plant 1,200 saplings and ensure that they are fine. I am starting this from Boriyakhera village playground from Friday.”
He said, “I will plant 600 saplings in Fatehabad and Ratia, 200 in Tohana, 300 in Bhattu and Bhuna and 100 in Jakhal. My first job after planting these will be to take care of them. I am sure the youths who cut the trees will realise what they have done to Nature.”
Khot said, “This is unfortunate that protesters targeted trees. Someone had to take the responsibility and I did. There are two things that you will never be able to compensate--environment and education. Even education got badly affected due to the reservation stir. We friends have decided to somewhat compensate our Punjabi friend and owner of Bhaiji hotel in Hansi, which the protesters burnt down.”
{{/usCountry}}Khot said, “This is unfortunate that protesters targeted trees. Someone had to take the responsibility and I did. There are two things that you will never be able to compensate--environment and education. Even education got badly affected due to the reservation stir. We friends have decided to somewhat compensate our Punjabi friend and owner of Bhaiji hotel in Hansi, which the protesters burnt down.”
{{/usCountry}}He said they had collected details from the department concerned about the trees and sought help from the forest department to provide them saplings.