Nanded, Sep 17 (FN Agency) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday furthered the mega plantation drive-All India Tree Plantation Campaign 2021-undertaken by the Central Armed Police Force. Amid the presence of MP Pratap Patil Chikhalikar and the CAPF DG, Mr Shah planted a ‘peepal’ sapling at the Mudkhed-based Training Centre here. Hailing the CAPF for pledging to plant one crore trees, he said, “The CAPF has planted 10 million trees in more than 170 districts across the country.” “The greenery initiative assumes further importance as today is the birthday of PM Narendra Modi,” he remarked. He further said, “Post independence, Mr Modi was India’s first CM who paid attention to climate change.
He set up the Climate Change Department and this was the first time in India that governmental attention was paid towards climate change.” The minister also remembered the era when Marathwada was under the “tyrannical rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad” and gained freedom on this day 73 years ago. Speaking about the ‘Marathwada Mukti Sangram Day’ observed today, he remarked, “India’s first Home Minister and Bharat Ratna Sardar Patel with his perseverance, bravery and strategic skills thwarted Nizam’s nefarious intentions and succeeded in making Marathwada a part of the united India”. “The country became independent on August 15 of 1947 but this region became independent 13 months later. In this sense, this is the day of independence of this region. Many veterans sacrificed their lives and fought a battle for the freedom of Marathwada,” he underscored. Complement the valour of the CRPF, Mr Shah said that the force has proved its mettle in varied battlegrounds; be it internal security, riots-prevention, northeast insurgency or J&K terrorism. “On all fronts, the CRPF jawans have done their job well and met every expectation by adapting themselves to varied requirements. They have proudly raised the victory flag of CRPF to the skies,” he said. Later, he paid obeisance at the historical Sachkhand Gurudwara.