Help pours in for actor-MP Dev's 1.5 million-tree drive in West Bengal's Ghatal
Times of India | 14 June 2024
MIDNAPORE: After actor-MP Dev's green promise to plant a new tree for every vote he, and his opposition candidates in BJP and CPI, got in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, his Tollywood colleagues Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rukmini Maitra have lent a hand, promising to donate 10,000 saplings each. Dev said several others, too, have reached out to him. An NGO - Mithri Mitti - has also reached out to TOI offices in Kolkata, promising to help Dev in his efforts.
After the TOI report, Rukmini had taken to social media to laud Dev."I would like to donate the next 10,000 plants to support this noble cause," she wrote. Prosenjit also took to his X handle to praise Dev's efforts. "Great initiative, Dev. I am with you. 10,000 plants from me in this," he wrote.
Dev said that ever since he started the plantation drive in Ghatal last Sunday, several people have reached out to him with help. "The first phase of the plantation drive will continue till June 21. I will also meet the West Midnapore DM for help in selecting plots to set up urban forest zones. What started as a thought, has now expanded into a people's initiative," the actor-MP said.
The Convent Road-based NGO that reached out to TOI offices aims to plant one crore plants themselves. Its founder Sanjay Jaising said, "Dev, apart from being an MP, is a well-known actor. His initiative is bound to strike a chord with people. We not only want to be involved with providing saplings but we want to also engage with him to ensure that sustained care is taken."
When Dev, and former state environment minister Manas Bhuniya, started planting trees in Uchitpur primary health centre in Sabang on Sunday, the actor-MP had said, "While filing my nomination, I had promised to plant a tree for every vote people give (me). Today, after winning, I pledge to plant not only that, but also one sapling for every vote my BJP and CPI opponents got. I am keeping NOTA out, since people do not vote for any party in that case. Today, we started with planting 10,000 saplings in one day. Over the next five years, we will plant and maintain over 15 lakh trees in Ghatal."
Dev had secured 8.3 lakh votes, BJP's Hiraan had secured 6.5 lakh votes and CPI got 74,908 votes.