 "Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri")
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday responded to criticism over a Central Government plan to cut 17,000 trees in Delhi, saying that he will ensure that 10 more trees will be planted for every tree cut in the city.
"Till the time I am a minister no tree will be cut and for every tree that is cut we will plant 10 trees. Green cover will go up by three times after re-development of 7 colonies in South Delhi," Puri said.
"Young activists are too fast to blame," he added.
The plan drew criticism from every quarter of the society. On Sunday, about 15,000 protestors including locals, activists and environmentalists held a 'Chipko Movement' in Delhi.
During the protest, people were holding placards with messages like "Save Trees, Save Delhi", "We want clean air" and "Save the trees, they will save you".
Several residents of Delhi had also expressed outrage on social media and trolled Puri for justifying the decision.
Lashing out at a Twitter user over his comments on the issue, Puri on Saturday said the new plan will ensure that at "no point of time will there be even one less tree in the area".
Be careful with your tone. Just because I am a public servant, you cannot take the liberty of being offensive. All this predates me. The decision taken will ensure that at no point of time will there be even one less tree in the area. Read r press release, if you have interest.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) June 23, 2018
The BJP blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of indulging in "cheap political gimmicks" over the issue.
"It is sad to see cheap political gimmicks being played in such a sensitive issue by the Delhi government after it issued permission to fell trees," Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said.
According to official sources, while 3,000 trees have already been cut down since last year in south Delhi area, the Central government-run construction company NBCC will chop an additional 16,500 trees in Sarojini Nagar and Nauroji Nagar areas to construct flats for Central government employees.
With agency inputs
