Religious leader Namdev Tyagi, also known as “Computer Baba”, formally took charge as the chairperson of the Narmada river trust under the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, NDTV reported. Soon after joining duty, he demanded a helicopter to conduct an aerial survey of the river.
Tyagi was appointed the chairperson of the Ma Narmada, Ma Kshipra evam Ma Mandakini River Trust on March 10. He took charge of the trust on Tuesday in the presence of Law Minister PC Sharma and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh.
Tyagi also accused the previous state government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan of corruption in planting of saplings along the Narmada river and announced an inquiry, The Indian Express reported.
“Now that I have been entrusted the headship of the trust, I want a helicopter as soon as possible for conducting an aerial survey of the Narmada River to ascertain the real state of the river considered the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh,” NDTV quoted Tyagi as saying. “The helicopter will enable me to also ascertain the state of trees planted on the riverbank during the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government as well as the actual truth about the rampant sand mining in the river.”
Tyagi also announced a toll-free helpline to receive complaints of illegal mining in the river, ANI reported. He said a Narmada Sena, which will have youngsters from villages as members, will be formed to save the river.
Tyagi was made a minister of state in the erstwhile Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh in April 2018. However, he resigned in October, claiming that the government was anti-religion. He then campaigned for the Congress in the 2018 Assembly elections and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
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